A Brilliant Mind
by NoxUmbra
Summary: A young woman training to be a tactician finds herself embroiled in a continent-spanning adventure.  Little does she know that her actions will shape history.  A novelization of FE7 focusing on the tactician, updated as often as possible.
1. A Girl from the Plains

A Girl from the Plains

She didn't know where she was: if she hadn't felt so _horrible,_ Adelessa would have been far more worried about that fact. A scratchy, heavy blanket that smelled strongly of hay and dirt weighed her down, made it hard to move. The sound of neighing and clattering tack grated against her ears, making her wince. Adelessa opened her eyes and immediately wished that she hadn't: even the feeble light in the room was enough to make her head throb hard enough that the room spun. Her stomach lurched and heaved in protest. Her skin felt hot and painful and her mouth was parched as dry as sand. She flinched at the feeling of a cool, damp cloth being placed on her forehead, the relief almost as unbearable as the agony that curled through her.

"Sh," came a gentle voice; unlike the clash of other noises, it was easy on her mind. "You're safe here. Rest." Adelessa sighed in response; nothing sounded better, but she needed to know what was going on.

"Where am I?" she croaked. "Who are you? What happened?"

"You're safe," the voice replied. "I'm a friend. You were attacked." The memories were returning to her: bandits, brigands on the road, rushing the convoy of which she was a part- "You need to rest." Whomever was speaking – a girl or woman, she couldn't tell – started humming a quiet tune, one that made her spirit rest, the thoughts and memories of chaos dull, and her mind slip back into the dark.

* * *

><p>The next time she found herself awake she felt much better and in far less pain. Adelessa still felt stiff, as if her skin wasn't as pliable as it usually was, but the sickening agony had faded into a dull ache. The blanket still smelled of earth and hay, but it felt much softer than what she remembered. Only a few chirps from birds and quiet clinks of what sounded like metal against ceramic. <em>Silverware?<em> she wondered. After taking a deep breath, she chanced opening her eyes: soft, feathery light illuminated the room around her. A moment more of study of the ceiling led her to realize that it wasn't a room, but an entire tent-like structure: round with wooden supports in the ceiling and made of hide of some sort.

The tickle of her hair plastered against her neck encouraged her to turn her head to the side. The motion brought a young woman into Adelessa's line of sight. The clinking made sense when she saw that she was stirring something in a bowl. Though her back was to Adelessa, the long, dark green hair marked her as a Sacaean nomad. She was slender, though not in the manner of the Ilian pegasus knights or the Etrurian noblewomen who starved themselves. Her build, she decided, was far more befitting a warrior. The geometric patterning of bright colors on her long tunic was softened by the gentle, almost hazy light in the room. Carefully picking up a bowl of what smelled like hearty soup, Adelessa's host turned and her lovely face brightened with a smile.

"Ah! You're awake," she said, setting the bowl down on a small, low wicker table. Adelessa struggled against her own weakness and the pain still tingling through her limbs to sit up; she was happy that she mostly succeeded. "Here – let me help you. How are you feeling?"

"A little stiff," she replied, gratefully cupping the bowl between her hands and sipping at it when offered the bowl. "My skin still hurts a bit. But other than that, very well. Thank you."

"That's good to hear – you were suffering heatstroke. The stiffness is from a bad sunburn – the red's mostly faded now, but your skin will be peeling soon. Oh," she added, "I am Lyn, of the Lorca tribe. Who are you? Can you remember your name?"

"Adelessa – call me Aydie, Lyn," she said. Yes, her skin did feel stiff, like when she had gotten a bad sunburn one day in Bern.

"Aydie? What an odd-sounding name... But pay me no mind. It is a good name!" she said, bringing a smile to the traveler's face. It slipped away as soon as Lyn asked her next questions. "I see by your attire you are a traveler. What brings you to the Sacae Plains? Would you share your story with me?"

"I was traveling with a merchant convoy," Adelessa started, staring into her soup, "traveling around Elibe to see all the different nations. We've been in Etruria, Ilia, Lycia, and had just gotten into Sacae. We were in Bulgar – selling our wares and picking up supplies – and were swinging around to the east and south to go to Bern." For a moment the young woman had to stop; a painful lump had lodged itself in her throat. "That was when the bandits struck.

"We were on a quiet road, going southeast, and about to stop for the night. While they didn't have horses, they had archers and fighters. It was impossible to react – they were hidden behind a hill and were all over us before anyone had a chance to draw their weapons. They spared no one – not even Amy, the shop-woman and baker. I would have fallen to the same fate, only Matthias – our main guard – put himself between me and the bandits. He made me run. I only could make it so far with the horse; we couldn't find anything..." Her voice faltered. "Lester couldn't go on after a while. I didn't know how close they were, so I kept going on foot. I know I fell and hit my head at one point; I don't really remember anything after that."

"I found you wandering – you hardly had a scrap to you. It looked like you'd been on foot for quite a while. You were already badly burned and suffering dehydration and heatstroke. You collapsed right as I saw you." Lyn waved her hand around their surroundings. "I couldn't just leave you there. You needed help, so I brought you here."

"Thank you," Adelessa said quietly, but her voice carried the profound gratitude as surely as her dark green eyes did. "I couldn't have asked a stranger to do what you have for me. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"Get better," Lyn said with a smile. "Besides that?" she asked when her guest opened her mouth. "Well, I like company and stories. Why were you with that merchant group? Family? Do you craft items? Not forging – you don't have the muscles for it. Oh! Here, I'll look for some proper clothing for you." Lyn stood and went over to a chest, leaving Adelessa to blush when she peeked under the blanket. Nothing too immodest – women shared the same parts, after all – but a great deal less than she was used to having. Once she composed herself and collected her thoughts, she spoke.

"Not family or crafting, not really. I was out learning."

"So you're a scholar?" Lyn asked, pulling various pieces of clothing out of the chest and eyeballing them.

"Not quite – a journeyman. I need to get out and see each of the nations of Elibe as part of my training. Joining up with a traveling convoy seemed like the best way to do that. I could help them with their wares while getting a good idea of culture and geography when we were in town and they were busy. We thought that we would be safe from bandits with our escort, but..."

"But they struck. I'm sorry," the Sacaean said, her eyes sympathetic. "Here – try these on." She offered Adelessa a pair of lightweight black leggings, a yellow Sacaean tunic, and a bright green over-tunic that looked as much a tunic as a robe. Carefully standing – or, rather, leaning against the headboard – while admiring the quality and intricacy of the embroidery, the brunette stepped into and pulled on the articles of clothing. "look at that – it brings out the colors of your eyes." Adelessa blushed and smiled, brushing her hair off the side of her face. "That should do well for now."

"Thank you, Lyn." Her hand flew to her neck and she stared, wide-eyed, when she couldn't feel her medallion. "My medallion!" She always wore it - it was an Etrurian design, knotwork of silver and gold.

"Oh - here you go. I took it off while you were asleep so it wouldn't bother your skin." Adelessa sighed with relief and looped the plain gold chain over her head so the medallion rested at the hollow of her throat.

"I'm-"

"Hm? What was that noise?" Lyn frowned and tilted her head, listening intently to something that her guest couldn't quite pick up. "I'll go see what's happening. Aydie, wait here for me." Walking briskly to the tent flap, she looked out and just as quickly withdrew. "Oh, no!"

"Bandits?"

"Bandits – they must have come down from the Bern Mountains," Lyn confirmed; Adelessa was surprised to see her with a katana. She hadn't seen it before. "They're probably planning to raid the local villages. I..." she started, then visibly steeled herself. "I have to stop them. If that's all of them, I think I can handle them on my own. You'll be safe in here-"

"Let me help," Adelessa insisted, flushing a little at Lyn's incredulous look.

"You don't look like a fighter – besides, you're still recovering!"

"I'm in training to be a tactician," she explained, persisting in helping. Even with uncooperative legs she made her way to where Lyn stood. "I can help you – and I'll watch to make sure nothing happens to you and that no one sneaks up on you."

"A strategist by trade? That's an odd profession, and even stranger for a woman, but..." Lyn thought for a moment, staring at the closed tent flap. "Very well. We'll go together!" The swordswoman hurried out of the tent ahead of the slower tactician. Squinting at the sudden change in brightness, Adelessa took a moment to get a measure of her surroundings.

"It looks like there are two looking around – one on the plain and one near that big tent-"

"Ger," Lyn corrected. "They're round huts – they're easy to transport. Most nomads live in huts like these."

"Right." She took a moment more to study, then nodded. "The one closest to us could easily be taken by surprise. He's facing away and talking." Lyn nodded; Adelessa was quietly amazed at how stealthily the young nomad could move and that neither the long tails of her tunic nor her hair got in her way.

The tactically-minded part of the young woman noted that, while still rather basic and unrefined, Lyn had remarkable skill for the blade. She could see that, with training and time, her style would be like poetry in motion, the same as the greatest myrmidons about whom the troubadours sang. Her sword flashed as she sliced a grievous wound down the bandit's back. Roaring with pain, the man whirled and blindly swung his axe. It mostly missed, but Lyn went to a knee even with a glancing blow from the heavier weapon. He had scored a hit on her left shoulder – Adelessa could see the angry mark even from where she hurried toward her new-found friend – but Lyn still lifted her word. The Sacaean surged upward, her blade finding its target as it slid into his chest. The bandit sagged and his axe fell from his fingers even as Adelessa reached Lyn's side. The swordswoman stepped away and let the man slide from her sword, wiping the blood off of it.

"Lyn! You've been hurt!" Adelessa cried, hurrying over to her.

"It's alright - it's not too bad. I have a vulnerary in my bag - could you apply it?"

Adelessa nodded, rifled through Lyn's satchel, and pulled the jar of ointment out of it. She winced when she first saw the wound, the blotching on her skin angry and sure to turn black and blue without tending. Luckily she only had to put a little on to ease the swelling and bruising. Even as she wiped the remnants off on a cloth she could see that the ailment was visibly healing.

"Just the leader left now," the tactician said, closing the jar and putting it back in its place. "He looks tough, but... I believe you can defeat him."

"I trust your judgment," Lyn assured her, rolling her shoulder.

"Aim for his right shoulder – it looks like he favors it!" Lyn nodded at the tip and rushed off. "Be careful," Adelessa whispered under her breath. "Please, don't underestimate him."

"Who do you think you are? You think you can stand up to Batta the Beast?" blustered the brigand, waving his axe. "I'll cut you down!" He sneered at Lyn as she took up her fighting stance, holding her blade ready and balancing her weight. For a moment the tableau was unbroken: they watched each other. Then Lyn struck, whipping forward in a lightning-fast strike that sliced a gash in his shoulder. He roared in pain and swung the axe at her torso. Unlike her previous opponent, Batta had a chance to prepare; Lyn still jumped back, but his axe laid her already-wounded shoulder wide open. She struck him again, drawing another bloody line parallel to the first, before dancing back and away from him.

"Whew! He's tough..." Lyn gasped, clutching her blade tighter. Suddenly Adelessa was terrifyingly unsure of herself. What if she had just sentenced this young woman to death? What if she had made a mistake in evaluating her chances? "Aydie, if I fall, I want you to flee. You must escape!" Lyn's words broke her out of that moment of fear. She couldn't let Lyn see her fear, not when she needed confidence!

"There no need for that – you've got him with this hit!" Lyn nodded, raising her blade for another strike. The blade of the katana flashed down almost faster than Adelessa could see – certainly faster than to what the half-beaten bandit could react. Lyn straightened when he stopped moving, his blood staining the dirt around him red.

"May the spirits torment your soul," Adelessa heard her say. "Thanks for the help, Aydie. That was close. I sorely underestimated him. Sorry if I worried you."

"It's alright," the tactician reassured her, pulling the vulnerary back out and making Lyn sit. "Here, let me tend to that – you did well."

"Yes, but I'll need to be stronger if I'm going to survive. Strong enough that no one can defeat me." Adelessa paused, seeing in Lyn's eyes the same determination she felt to remain free and excel at her chosen profession. She nodded wordlessly and continued to tend the wound, slathering on the ointment. It was good that she had met Lyn – not just because she had saved her life, but also because she'd reminded her of that self-same spark that had led her to this life in the first place. "I don't know about you," Lyn said, snapping Adelessa back into the present, "but I'm exhausted after all of that. What say we go back to my ger for the night and rest? We've earned it and the peace of no bandits in the area."

Adelessa sat back on her heels, only now feeling her fatigue and pain return as the adrenaline drained from her. "That... does sound good," she said. "Let's go back."

* * *

><p>The sound of chirping birds woke Adelessa the following morning. She groaned and pulled the wool blanket up over her head, not wanting to face the day. Lying there and trying to fall back asleep didn't work; she gave up after a few minutes and reluctantly dragged herself out of bed.<p>

"Good morning, Aydie!" Lyn's greeting made her blearily look up. "You're awake. That fight yesterday must have taken a lot out of you." A mute nod from the tactician made her grin. It faded slowly as Adelessa yawned and shuffled to a seat, settling herself down. "Say, Aydie..." she started, making the other woman look up. "I want to talk to you about something. You have some experience in the ways of war from your training, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Would – would you allow me to travel with you?"

Adelessa blinked at the sudden question. "Shouldn't you ask your parents first?"

Lyn looked away, her unbound hair falling from behind her ear to curtain her face. "My mother and my father... died six months ago." Since she wasn't looking at Adelessa she couldn't see the tragic sympathy that crossed the brunette's face. "My people – the Lorca – they don't... I'm the last of my tribe. Bandits attacked, and... they killed so many people." Her breath hitched. Adelessa remained silent: she knew to speak would be to interrupt, and if she did that she wasn't sure that Lyn would be able to start again. "My tribe scattered. My father was our chieftain and I wanted to protect our people, but... they weren't willing to follow me since I was just a girl." She sniffed and swiped at her eyes, catching tears before they could fall onto her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I've been alone for so long... I feel better now, though. I will shed no more tears." She looked up at her companion, smiling weakly. "Thank you. I'm better now.

"Aydie, I want- no, I _must_ become stronger, so that I may avenge my tribe! Yesterday's battle taught me something. I won't become stronger by sitting here alone. Aydie, tell me you'll train me, that you'll let me travel with you!" she pleaded, leaning forward.

"Of course I will," Adelessa replied. "I'd like that."

"You will? You do? That's wonderful! Thank you! Oh, thank you!" Lyn gave Aydie a sudden hug, taking her off-guard. She froze for a second and recovered only just before the other young woman pulled back with a sheepish smile. It widened even more. "We'll be better off working together, I know it. You'll be my master strategist, and I'll be your peerless warrior! We can do it! Right?"

"Right," Adelessa affirmed, returning the confident grin. "Then let's get packed."

* * *

><p>Settling into the saddle of the Sacaean horse Lyn provided for her – named Rea, a Sacaean word that meant "breeze" – Adelessa marveled at how quickly her life had changed in the past few days. She spurred her horse to follow Lyn, who was just ahead of her on the road, and mulled over her thoughts. She'd tasted a real battle today – it was thrilling and terrifying, just as all her teachers had told her. The icy fear of losing Lyn reminded her that she needed to continue her studies, to get better. For now she would go through Lycia to get back to her school in Etruia. Maybe she would find a new caravan with which to travel. She and Lyn would be able to do that.<p>

She smiled at herself. She'd figure it out as they went: no need to decide everything right now. She'd seize opportunities as they came. For Elimine's sake, they were only heading to Bulgar to properly resupply and get to the main roads. Shading her eyes and looking forward, she nodded. Maybe this would turn out even better than her original plans. Lyn needed the company and she felt more comfortable around her than she ever did with the caravan. It wasn't a big deal: she wasn't in any rush.

And besides, it wasn't like she was plunging into a full-fledged war.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ** Alright, so Fire Emblem/FE7/Rekka no Ken is one of my favorite games of all time. This is the beginning of my retelling of the story. I plan on staying fairly true to the story through Lyn's path, but I may be taking some artistic license with Eliwood/Hector's paths. :3 But for now, hold on for the ride!

Fire Emblem does not belong to me. Aydie, however, does.


	2. Footsteps of Fate

Footsteps of Fate

This wasn't her first time in Bulgar – the merchants had stopped here briefly before continuing on with their journey deeper into Sacae – but Adelessa found that it was an entirely different experience when she was traveling with a Sacaean. The tactician-in-training figured that part of it was that she had on one of the traditional Sacaean over-tunics rather than the clothing of outsiders. While not more talkative, the other plainspeople were warmer and more hospitable in general. And, along with that, the market had changed. It was still bursting with busy, bustling bodies, but it was far more vivid with the colorful tunics of the Sacaeans accented by bright tarps over the booths and new bolts of fabric that hadn't been there when the caravan had passed through several days ago.

"Aydie, do you think this will- Aydie?"

"Oh, sorry," the brunette apologized, tearing her gaze away from the currents of people in the crowd and returning her attention to the task at hand: packing for the road. "Those look good," she affirmed, nodding at the rations. "They'll keep well on our way to Bern."

"So why Bern?" Lyn asked after she'd paid for the dried fruit and returned to where Adelessa was examining bandages and vulneraries.

"It's one of the countries to which I still need to go," Adelessa said. "I've made it through Etruria, Lycia, Ilia, and Sacae."

"Ilia?" Lyn asked eagerly. "Did you see any of their knights?"

"Never up close – the caravan only went a little north. Winter was falling and we didn't want to get trapped when the passes closed because of the blizzards. Why?"

"I've a childhood friend who's training to be a knight there." Lyn dropped her fruit and the vulnerary Adelessa bought into a large bag that she then slung over her shoulder, rolling her shoulders to relax them. "There – that should be most of our supplies, then. Let's head back and see about getting on the road; it's still plenty early." Adelessa had to hurry to keep up with the green-haired woman's pace. By the time the two reached where they'd tied up their horses, her cheeks were pink and she gladly stopped to pat Rea's neck while catching her breath.

"Well, if you're ready to-"

"Do my eyes deceive me?" A man's voice interrupted the tactician. Both of the young women turned to look who was speaking when he continued with, "Oh, my heart! What dazzling visions of loveliness!" A man with hair several shades darker than Adelessa's own stood with one gloved hand pressed against his green chestplate, his eyes gazing soulfully at Lyn and Adelessa both. Lyn turned to continue preparing her horse for the ride and he stepped forward, spreading his arms from his sides. "Wait, O beauteous one! Would you not favor me with your name?" Heartened when the Sacaean turned back to look at him, he grinned wider and took another step forward. "Or better yet, your company?"

"Where are you from, _sir __knight_, that you would speak like this?" Lyn asked, crossing her arms over her chest and staring down the man.

"Ha! I thought you'd never ask!" proclaimed the man, pointing a proud finger at himself and jutting out his chest. "I am from Lycia. From the Caelin canton, to be exact – the home to men of passion and fire!" The wind was knocked abruptly from his sails when Lyn raised one skeptical eyebrow.

"Shouldn't that be 'home to callow oafs with loose tongues'?" she asked pointedly. The man looked hurt at the helpless laugh Adelessa gave at the situation – she found it terribly comical. He recovered quickly and the smile hopped back on his face.

"Oh, you're even lovely when you're cruel," he flattered.

"Let's go, Aydie," she said, rolling her eyes with exasperation plain in her voice. "This isn't worth our time."

"Wait! Please-"

"Sain! Hold your tongue!" Another knight – this one in bold red armor with a shockingly orange crop of orange hair – came up and firmly slapped a hand on Sain's shoulder. The green-armored knight turned to him and adopted an even happier expression.

"Ah, Kent – my boon companion! Why the severe face?" he asked, doing his best to look innocent.

"If you didn't mess around like this so much," he started lowly, "I wouldn't have to be so severe!" Adelessa could tell that this was an ongoing matter between the two; it was evident in the comfortable manner in which both men fell into their roles and the rote and exasperated manner in which Kent spoke. Sain heaved a melodramatic sigh and brushed off Kent's hand, tilting his head from side to side.

"I know that," he replied. "But how could I remain silent in the presence of such beauty? It would have been discourteous!" Lyn gave her traveling companion a boggled look when the tactician giggled quietly, her cheeks pink with a blush. Adelessa shook her head and turned back to her steed, flattered and enjoying the pleasant feeling.

"What do you know of courtesy?" Kent demanded, drawing in a breath to no doubt start another lecture. Lyn shook her head and leaned forward, apparently tired of this farce.

"Excuse me!" she snapped, drawing the startled attention of both knights. When they fell quiet and appeared to be ready to stay that way, she scowled and continued with, "You're blocking the road. If you would be so kind as to move your horses…."

"Of course," Kent said, looking chagrined that he had neglected to notice such a thing. "My apologies."

"Thank you," Lyn said sincerely, if a bit tersely. "_You_, at least, seem honorable enough." Adelessa grinned as she hoisted herself up into her saddle: she'd seen Sain's hurt look at that barbed comment. Lyn vaulted up in turn, far more gracefully than the tactician had managed; Aydie wondered if she'd ever be able to measure up to her companion's grace.

They had just started on their way when Kent called, "Pardon me, but…." Lyn halted and turned her steed to look at him, confused as to why he was stopping her. "I feel like we've met before."

Lyn's expression only became more puzzled. "I beg your pardon?" she asked, not sure how to take that question when she knew quite well that she'd never met this man before.

"Hey!" Sain protested. "No fair, Kent – I saw her first!"

"Tsk!" Lyn's sharp sound of disgust cut off anything the other knight had to say. "It would figure – one knight is just like another!" She started off at a trot, her spine stiff with anger. "We're going, Aydie!" Adelessa managed to sneak the two a small wave and a smile before they started arguing, and she spurred her mare forward to catch up with her friend. Falling in step next to the Sacaean, they traveled in silence for several minutes while Lyn visibly simmered. Finally she sighed and shook her head again, irritation draining out of her. She looked over at her companion, asking, "Are all men in Lycia so… so _loose?_"

"No, they aren't," she replied, holding one hand to her cheek. She could still feel the telling burn of a blush and knew her cheeks were still rosy; she was far from used to getting compliments, much less as many and as flowery as Sain had been handing out. "I really don't think that the second one – Kent – was trying-" Lyn's scoff cut her off.

"Regardless, it's done and over now," she said. "Once we're past the gers out here, we can go ahead and really start moving." The two lapsed back into a comfortable silence, one where Adelessa quietly contemplated that whole encounter. _Those__ two__ knights__ were__ characters, __that's__ for __sure,_ she thought. Lycia was terribly diverse compared to the other nations, though she figured that was to be expected with how it was segmented into several different provinces, each with their own lord and army. She'd heard rumors of trouble with the lord in Caelin; something about him being ill and his brother already jockeying for his throne. Adelessa shook her head. It was a downright mess: she might be good at them, but she hated dealing with politics. _No__ one __ever__ wins__ in__ cases__ like __that._

She found herself knocked thoroughly out of her thoughts when Lyn's terse whisper cut into her mind. "Hurry!" she hissed. "We're being followed!" Adelessa fumbled for and held onto her mare's mane along with the reins when she kicked her to a gallop, surprised by the fast reaction of the horse.

"Who- where-?" Adelessa gasped out, looking over her shoulder to see the forms behind her, though she couldn't see them clearly and had to turn back forward to keep from being thrown from the saddle. "It didn't look like those men from town."

"No – it's not them," Lyn replied grimly, glancing back. Adelessa nearly spilled from her saddle – her feet came out of the stirrups and only her grip on Rea's mane kept her from falling to the ground – when a man jumped in the road ahead of them. Lyn was able to hold her seat better and had reached out to lend Adelessa a hand when the man chuckled; the tactician-in-training felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end at the malice in the laugh. That, combined with the unpleasant odor that wafted from the man, made her quickly realize that this person was likely a bandit or ruffian of some sort.

"Aren't you two pretty?" he sneered at them. His gaze turned to Lyn, his beady eyes glinting. "Your name is Lyndis, is it not?" When Lyn recoiled with surprise, a wide leer slashed across his face and revealed rotting teeth.

"What did you call me?" she gasped. A demand followed on its heels. "Who are you?"

"Such a waste," he said, his voice trying for mournful. Unlike Sain's, Adelessa noticed, this held no playful joking: only dark intention. "An absolute waste - the things I'll do for gold. Ah, well. Time to die, darlin'!" He raised his voice to a roar. "C'mon out, boys!" Adelessa gasped in horror when she saw the many mooks that he called: there were many, far too many for the two of them alone to ever hope to defeat. Lyn knew this even without her tactical advice; she knew her limits and this was well past them.

"There are more than we can handle," she said, sliding down from the horse and gripping her sword tightly, "but I won't give up! Aydie, if you can, retreat!"

"Hey! There she is!" Both the young women looked at each other: they knew that voice, though this time it wasn't shamelessly flattering them. Two bandits fell as Sain and Kent burst forward through the ring that had formed, scattering the thugs. One fell to a vicious cut from Kent's sword that opened him from navel to neck, the other to Sain's horse knocking him down and then the cavalier following that up with a sharp strike with his lance. "Whew," he said, grinning. "Finally caught up – _hold!_" he roared at the now-retreating leader, his flash of anger making Adelessa step back instinctively. "You there! What is your business? Such numbers against girls? Cowards, every one of you!" He dashed at a bandit who thought to be brave and advance on Lyn and Adelessa, his lance spearing him through the side.

"You! You're from-" Adelessa started, but Kent shook his head as Sain returned.

"We can discuss that later," Kent said firmly, his eyes flashing with righteous anger. "It appears these ruffians mean to do you harm. If it's a fight they want, let them look to us!"

"No!" Lyn insisted, making both of the knights look back down at her. "This is _my_fight! Stay out of my way!"

"Well, I can't just stand here and do nothing…" Sain said, his eyes narrowing as he watched the main group of fleeing bandits.

"Lyn, wait – what if I commanded them?" All three looked at Adelessa, Lyn thoughtfully and the knights with no small amount of surprise.

"You're a tactician?" Sain asked doubtfully, studying her with a critical eye.

"I am," she replied steadily. "And this would solve our problem – Lyn, you could still go ahead and fight and these two would be able to effectively help you." After a second's pause, Kent and Lyn both nodded.

"Then command us," he said. "I am Kent, a knight of Lycia. My companion is Sain. We will follow your orders in this battle."

Adelessa nodded and swept her gaze across their battlefield. The bandits had scattered and withdrawn with Kent and Sain's appearance. There were forests nearby; luckily they didn't block her sight too badly and would provide good cover – but only if they made it to them before the bandits did. She had already seen one ruffian shuffle into a copse of trees. "It looks like the leader went to the northeast, over the bridges," she said, almost to herself.

"We'll go-"

"I'd like you to take on the bandits to the south," she interrupted, making Sain give a disgruntled huff. Kent listened intently as she continued. "Lyn and I will head north. We should meet up near the leader at about the same time." Kent nodded an acknowledgement of her orders and rode off, pulling out his sword from its sheath. Sain followed in a thunder of hooves, holding his lance at the ready. Adelessa shook her head at that: he got lucky earlier when he beat the bandits with it. Now that they were ready for him, he would only end up breaking it against their axes. Trying to ignore her misgivings and the urge to follow him and correct this mistake – _He's__ a __knight;__ he __should __know__ what __he's __doing!_– she turned back to Lyn. "Stick to the trees. They'll help protect us from the bandits."

"Us?" Lyn asked; even as she ran for the trees Adelessa could see her misgivings in having her along for the fight. It was true that she still had to recover some from her spell on the plains and would have moments of weakness where she'd be dizzy and light-headed, but she knew she needed to be with her friend for this fight.

"I'm feeling much better," was her reply. "It would be silly for me to try to decide tactics if I'm not even in the area."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lyn pressed, concern obvious in her voice. "I don't want you getting hurt." She held up a branch for the tactician, allowing the brunette to sneak forward in the underbrush.

"I'll be alright. Nothing a good night's rest can't fix." She smiled over her shoulder at Lyn and then puffed up a breath of air to try to get a lock of hair out of her face. She had to give up and tuck it behind her ear after several tries; she did so just in time to hear a loud snap. Both women froze and Adelessa silently berated herself for not watching her step while she was distracted. Lyn leaped into action, cutting down a bandit who spotted them before he even had a chance to draw his weapon with a single slash of her katana. "Good job," the tactician said. "Oh- oh, dear," she said in a tone so dejected that Lyn couldn't help but look over at her. She looked up and scowled at what she saw.

"Why's Sain heading this way?" the Sacaean asked.

"See how he's holding his side?" Adelessa pointed out. "He probably hurt himself using his lance." She stepped out of the trees and Lyn followed suit after a moment; Sain brightened when he saw the two.

"Hello, my beauteous angels!" he greeted them, waving with his other hand.

"Is there a reason you haven't taken care of your wound?" Adelessa asked, frowning at him slightly.

"Huh? What a cad I am to wrinkle that perfect brow of yours with worry for me," he said, holding his side tighter. "It's not so bad-"

"I was thinking of giving you a vulnerary," Lyn said, "but it looks like you're fine."

"No, wait!" Sain scrambled to make it over to the swordswoman. "I'll take it – please! I'll take it!" Adelessa chuckled and watched the two tend to Sain's wound, Lyn scolding the sheepish knight. Her mirth drained away as she turned to survey the battlefield. Kent was doing fine against the two he was fighting. They had cleared out all of the bandits in their area, giving the group a straight shot at the man who had originally hailed Lyn and started this whole mess.

"Sain, Lyn – you go ahead and try to get started on the leader," she said. Sain looked over at her from where he was tying off a bandage with Lyn's help. He winced and held still when she scolded him to stop squirming.

"I thought you'd want us to wait until Kent caught up," he ventured, his voice questioning.

"Change of plans – you should be able to defeat him. We've been winning against his goons pretty handily, at least. He gives off an air of his bark being bigger than his bite." Sain grinned at that and nodded.

"If you think we can do it, Aydie, then we'll go ahead and fight him," Lyn said. In that moment Adelessa felt warmed to her core at the trust the other young woman showed in her abilities. _Is __this __what __it's__ like __to __lead __an__ army? __Maybe__ I__ have__ made __the__ right __choice__ after __all._

"Just be careful," she cautioned. "I don't want you tripping over each other. Wait," she said, touching Sain's elbow to get his attention. "Sain, attack first – that way you can get out of Lyn's path of attack quickly so she can finish him off." Sain nodded, winked, and galloped off.

"You do a good job, Aydie. I wouldn't have thought of that," Lyn said before running after the green-armored knight. Adelessa smiled warmly to herself, touched by Lyn's words of confidence. Instead of following them, she headed for where Kent was dispatching his last opponent.

"Is something wrong?" he asked when he noticed her, wiping orange locks of hair off of his sweaty brow. "Did someone get injured?"

"Everyone's fine," she reassured him, smiling up at him. Somehow she knew he would be concerned for his fellow knight and Lyn. "They're taking on the leader. Could I catch a ride with you? I don't have a chance of keeping up with those two otherwise."

"Certainly," he said. Adelessa took his outstretched hand and, with the knight's help, swung herself up behind him. "Hold on." She grabbed him around the waist as his destrier leaped forward. The trees passed by them in a blur, making the tactician _very_ glad that Kent was a good horseman. She looked up in time to see the leader of the men fend off one of Lyn's attacks and raise his axe to retaliate.

"Interrupt him!" she cried. "Don't worry about me! We can keep Lyn from getting hurt this way-" she cut herself off when she nearly bit her tongue; Kent had sped up without warning. Clinging to him for dear life, she prayed to Elimine and the spirits both that she wouldn't fall off the horse. A jarring lurch that nearly unseated her was followed by a grunt of pain. The fear that Kent was injured was enough to raise her head from where it was buried in his back.

"Nicely done, Kent!" Sain cheered, raising his sword. "That was a beautiful parry!" Sain dismounted, at first causing Adelessa no end of confusion – cavaliers like them rarely, if ever, left their horses during combat. It was only when she noticed that the smell of blood was especially thick in the air and her eye caught blades of grass stained red that she understood that the leader had been killed with that blow. She sighed and relaxed behind Kent, suddenly feeling light-headed after all the excitement. Grinning, she watched when Sain trotted up to Kent and gave him a light slap on the leg.

"Thank you," Kent said calmly, though she could hear the note of a smile in his voice. "Would you offer Aydie some help down? These horses are taller than yours and without stirrups it might be hard for you to get down on your own," he explained to Adelessa. She nodded, glad that he had explained it in a way that would allow her to keep her dignity and pride intact.

"Yeah, no problem," Sain replied. He helped her down from the horse, steadying her when her legs were wobbly on the ground. His hands lingered on her waist. "Take it easy – you're not normally one for a fight, are you? Hey, hey, no need to get upset," he said hurriedly when Adelessa looked up at him with a hurt expression and he caught Lyn's glare. "There's nothing wrong with that. You just seem a little unsteady on your feet, that's all. No insult meant," he sighed when Lyn's glare was unrelenting.

"Well, that was the last of them," Kent said. "I looked around while we were on our way over – there's no sign of any more."

"Well, then," Lyn said, fixing him with her gaze next, "you were going to share your story with me." She sat on a nearby log, patting a spot next to her; Adelessa staggered her way over, remembering how to walk properly halfway there. When she sat down she sighed; it was nice to be able to sit on something that wasn't moving around.

"Yes." Kent nodded to her and dismounted, tying his horse up next to Sain's. "We're in Sacae because we're looking for someone. That's why we left Caelin."

"Caelin…" Lyn said thoughtfully.

"It's to the southwest, past the mountains," Adelessa offered.

"That's correct," Kent affirmed. "We're messengers from the marquess to the Lady Madelyn, who eloped with a nomad some nineteen years ago."

Lyn appeared surprised and then her expression slid to guarded. "Madelyn?"

"She was the marquess' only daughter – his only child, actually. He was heartbroken when she abandoned him for some nomadic prince. Eventually, the marquess simply declared that he had no daughter and refused to speak of her."

"And then this year," Sain added, "we received a letter from Lady Madelyn. It said that she, her husband, and their daughter were living happily on the Sacae Plains. The only thing that made him happier than the letter itself was the news that he had a granddaughter." He smiled widely, his eyes going off into the distance for a moment. "I remember the smile on his face when he announced that he was a grandfather. The granddaughter's name is Lyndis." Adelessa looked over at Lyn when she drew in a sharp breath. "It's likely that she was named after the marquess' wife, who passed away at an early age. That the Lady Madelyn would name her daughter after his wife touched him. Now his only wish is to meet his daughter's family. That," he said, spreading his hands and gesturing at himself and Kent, "is why we're here. We didn't know that she died a few days after sending her letter. We only learned that shortly after we arrived here in Bulgar." His eyes echoed Lyn's own sorrow at the reminder of how she lost everything. "But we also learned that there was still hope. Lyndis didn't perish in the attack that killed her parents. We heard that she was still living on the plains."

"I…" Kent paused; Sain looked over at him expectantly, dropping his arms from where he'd had them moving as he spoke. "I knew it immediately. You are the Lady Lyndis."

"Why would you…?" she started, puzzled and off-balance after all the knights had to say.

"You look just like your mother when she was your age – your faces are the same," Kent said gently.

Lyn's head flew up. "What? Did you know my mother?"

Kent shook his head and Lyn's eyes dimmed a little. "I'm sorry to say I never met her – she had left by the time I started my service – but I saw portraits of her in Castle Caelin." The group was silent for a long moment, Lyn and Adelessa both working to absorb all of these revelations.

Lyn was the one to break the silence. "To the rest of my tribe," she started slowly, hesitantly, "I was always Lyn. But when I was with my parents… when it was just the three of us, I was Lyndis. It's all so _strange_. I was all alone in the world. Now I have a grandfather." Her voice filled with wonder, longing, and pain all at the same time. "Lyndis… I thought I would never hear that name again." The group lapsed into quiet again to let Lyn have a moment to her memories and to come to terms with this new idea that she had a grandfather. Adelessa had never met the family of Caelin, so she couldn't verify or deny the truth of what the knights were saying, but they seemed virtuous and honest. "Wait," Lyn said, drawing attention back to her. "That bandit! He called me Lyndis, too!"

"What?" Kent asked, disbelieving. "How could he have-"

"He was probably a henchman of Lundgren. That's what I'd guess, at least." Adelessa's voice shocked everyone, including her. She had thought she remembered something major going on with Caelin's ruling family from her time in Lycia.

"Lundgren?" Lyn asked. "Who's that?"

"He's the marquess' younger brother," Kent explained. "Everyone assumed the Lady Madelyn was gone forever – along with any of her heirs. Because of that, Lord Lundgren would be heir to be the next marquess."

"To be honest, it means that you're a threat to Lundgren," Adelessa said. Her green eyes were hard and flashed with anger. "Those types are always the sort – nothing stops them from wanting to grab power."

"That's-" Lyn spluttered over her words for a moment, shocked at yet another twist in the unfolding drama in her life. "But I don't want to inherit any title!" she protested finally, looking between the two knights for reassurance that because of this there would be no action against her. Sain and Kent looked at each other, their faces telling the tale that such a thing was an optimistic dream.

"Unfortunately, your granduncle is not the sort of man to believe that. I believe the attempts on your life will continue," Sain said, bluntly cutting to the point. Kent scowled at him for such, though the expression softened to a gentler one when he saw how Lyn's face fell.

"What should I do?" she asked, her voice tiny. Adelessa was frozen; she didn't know how to comfort the strong young woman sitting next to her who always seemed so capable. She looked up when Kent kneeled before her and offered her his hand, eyes gentle.

"Come with us to Caelin," he urged her quietly. "Continuing on this way is dangerous – alone, you're in far more danger than if you were to travel with the two of us." Lyn looked from him to Sain, who smiled slightly and nodded. Her eyes traveled over to where Adelessa sat. Adelessa nodded, closing her eyes; she really didn't have a choice here. It was obvious what the answer should be.

"I feel like I don't really have a choice," Lyn confessed. "I will go with you. Aydie… I'm sorry. This changes everything."

"Not really – we have to go through Bern to get into Lycia anyways," she said with a smile. She didn't want to let Lyn see how worried she was: she knew first-hand how messy inheritance wars could get and she didn't really think that Lyn was ready or prepared to enter such a conflict. "But that's only if you want me to stay with you."

"If I want you to stay?" Lyn echoed. "Of course I do! Traveling with you this far has been wonderful, but… it's going to be so dangerous."

"Well, isn't that why we have some knights to help us?" Adelessa asked with a smile. "Besides, this is a good chance for me to learn. I _want _to come and help you, Lyn. Please let me."

"If you're sure, then… Thank you!" Lyn's smile wiped away any doubts the brunette had: it was obvious that Lyn hadn't been looking forward to a journey without her now-familiar presence.

"It would be best if we left soon," Kent said, reminding them of the fact that they were on a recent battlefield. Adelessa all but jumped up, followed by Lyn. "Shall we?"

"We'd better – we've got a lot of road to cover still today," Lyn said, a new fire lighting her eyes. "I want to get to Caelin to meet my grandfather as soon as possible." With that, the two young women went to retrieve their horses; luckily, they hadn't wandered far and it was easy to track them down with Lyn's tracking abilities from a childhood spent on the plains. The group started away from Bulgar again, making for Bern.

Adelessa found that traveling was a lot less quiet with Sain and Kent; the former didn't seem to like the quiet and the latter often corrected or scolded him. _Still,_ she thought, _it's __nice __to __have __them __chattering. __There's__ a __little__ more __life__ in__ the __group._ She smiled to herself, prompting Sain to question and then tease her as to the reason that she was so happy. _We'll__ see__ how__ this __goes. __At__ least__ Lyn__ will__ have __me__ here__ to__ help__ guide__ her__ along__ with__ Sain__ and__ Kent,_ Adelessa thought, nodding to herself. _Perhaps__ we'll__ do__ better__ than__ I__ think._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I have to admit to loving the interactions between Kent and Sain. They're lovely foils for each other. :3 And they're fun characters in their own right. Oh, Sain, you womanizer... X3_  
><em>


	3. Sword of Spirits

Sword of Spirits

It had been a fairly uneventful few days: despite the fears of Adelessa and the knights, no more assassins popped up to besiege the group on their way. They had started to get to know one another, even the little things like how Sain was never to be in charge of the meals and that Lyn always slept on her left side, that Adelessa would daydream when riding and Kent always took first watch. It wasn't terribly surprising, then, when Lyn asked to stop by a nearby altar.

"Aydie, wait a minute," she requested. The tactician did so, tilting her head in a wordless question. "I'd like to stop here for a bit. There's a sacred sword enshrined in an altar east of here," the green-haired woman explained. "The people of Sacae go there to pray for safety at the onset of a long journey."

Sain, who had overhead this, blinked and said, "Oh! How quaint." He earned a scathing look from Kent.

"The teachings of Elimine have the most followers in Elibe. It is nice to see that here, at least, the ancient customs are still observed," the other knight said. "The idea that the spirits guide and have ties to all things used to be the main belief of Elibe."

"Really?" Sain asked, frowning. "Huh. I had always wondered where the Sacaeans got it from."

"It wasn't until the Scouring that there were really any major religions besides the belief in the spirits," Adelessa piped up. "And really, Elimine didn't say that the spirits didn't exist: she gave guidelines on how to live and act in an upright fashion. It's only been in the last couple hundred years that she's been immortalized as more of a goddess than a teacher or saint." Sain's impressed look made her blush. "I learned this at university – we studied the roots of philosophy and magic. Anima magic comes from the spirits and their elemental affinities. Light magic comes from the teachings of Elimine and is essentially modified anima magic."

"What about dark magic?" asked Lyn, curious about how much her companion knew about the subject.

"Well…" Adelessa started, drawing out the word, and then stared off into space. "It's hard to explain well. People think there were forces even before the spirits – great ones – and that's what dark magic calls upon. The problem is that it's terribly powerful. Power corrupts, after all, except for the brightest of souls."

"Most of whom go and serve in the Church of Elimine," Kent added.

"Exactly! So, while dark magic itself isn't bad, the people who use it tend to be… less morally strong than others," Adelessa finished. "Did any of that make sense?"

"I follow some of it, but…" Sain shrugged a little, grinning. "I was too distracted by your beauty to properly-" Lyn's sigh, Kent's growl, and Adelessa's laugh cut him off. Lyn pulled her horse up short when a woman ran up to the group from a house in the village that surrounded the altar.

"I beg your pardon, milady," she said breathlessly, looking up at Lyn from where she was partly bent over to get her breath back. Her cheeks were red, as if she had been running. "Are you headed east to the altar?"

"Yes, we are," Lyn answered. The woman brightened and grasped one of the trailing lengths of her tunic, her eyes wide and desperate as she pointed at the humble building that housed the sacred blade. Adelessa and the knights all tensed; what if this was a clever ruse for an assassin?

"Then you must hurry and help the priest there," she begged. "I saw a band of ruffians head in there not long ago. They seemed intent on stealing the altar's sacred sword!"

"The Mani Katti… they're going to steal it?" Lyn seemed floored by the idea that someone would even attempt to pull off such an outrageous act. "They can't be allowed to do so – I have to stop them," she declared, her face setting into an expression of grim determination.

"You look like a virtuous group – please, help him!" At Lyn's nod, the woman ran away, hiking the tails of her over-tunic to the side so she wouldn't step on them while she ran. Lyn started toward the altar, but Sain and Kent subtly blocked her. Adelessa was impressed at how smoothly they'd done so; it was likely that Lyn didn't even realize that they'd moved to block her way.

"Lyndis," Kent asked, "what are you planning?"

"We – or at least I – need to go help the priest!" she insisted.

"That's alright," Adelessa said, "but we should prepare for the fight first." She glanced at their equipment; luckily they still had plenty of vulneraries and their weapons looked to be in good order. "Perhaps you know the area well, but Sain, Kent, and I are not as familiar with it. If we visit those houses to the south, perhaps then we'll have the knowledge we need to go into that fight with confidence." After a moment – one in which Adelessa prayed that Lyn would agree – the plainswoman nodded.

"You're right. Shall I take the lead?"

"Go ahead – take the one furthest to the west. Kent, Sain, could you get the other two? I'll wait here in this courtyard." Watching the three hurry off to ask nearby residents about the area or anything they needed to know, the tactician-in-training found that she was pleased and puzzled both. Even after such a short time, Lyn – a proud person – and two trained cavaliers were following her commands. It was a sobering realization for her: she had to watch her choices carefully or those under her command would pay the price for her distractions and thoughtlessness. She didn't dare admit to herself that it was frightening; if she did, she was afraid she would lose her nerve altogether. This was a different case than her previous two battles; those were spur-of-the-moment defensive fights to save lives. This would be a premeditated attack on a stronghold that was likely fortified and had defenses against intruders.

Adelessa was glad when the cavaliers returned and reported to her the nature of the sword within – the Mani Katti – and the mountains in which the altar was nestled. She made particular note of the latter: the terrain would make it nigh impossible for the two men to traverse on horseback, but at least the bandits would be slowed by it as well. It was the information that Lyn brought back to her that cemented her strategy, however; the altar had a wall that faced a slope that was passable on horseback. Not only that, but it was weak after years of weathering from rough winds and storms that blustered across the plains.

"All right," she said, drawing a crude map on the ground with a stick, "I have a plan. We should be able to knock out enough of the wall that we'd be able to get through it. Hitting it with the pommel of your swords should work well enough," she instructed Kent and Sain, both of whom nodded. "We'll go inside, recover the sword, and make sure that the priest is safe. Defeating the bandits is not the main priority, though I'm sure that we'll have the chance to do so while we're in there. Do you have any questions?" At the silence and the shaking heads, Adelessa scuffed out the rough map with her foot. "Then we'll go ahead and start the attack." _I pray that this is the best course of action. Elimine, spirits, don't let me have missed something!_

"With whom will you be going to watch the battle?" Sain asked. "If you want, you can ride behind me."

"No, thank you," Adelessa said, shaking her head. "I'll stay with Lyn and walk to the fight. I don't want to slow either of you down." She straightened and tugged her over-tunic tighter at a gust of wind, squinting through locks of wavy, uncooperative hair at her companions. "Then let's not waste any more time. They need us to save the sword and the priest – and soon." Starting for the altar, she walked next to Lyn. Sain walked on her other side and Kent on Lyn's far side. They acted casual until one ruffian called out at Lyn and Adelessa, brandishing his axe. "Go! Take down the walls!" she shouted. Sain and Kent galloped for the wall, pounding at the bricks with their swords. Adelessa's heart dropped to her feet when she saw it wasn't giving yet – _Did we get bad information?_

She was drawn back to the more immediate problem of the bandit who'd started toward them when the scream of his axe meeting Lyn's sword drew her immediate and undivided attention. Lyn ducked forward and drove her sword up, but the man jumped back and deflected it enough that a killing strike became only a shallow gash on his forearm. He, in turn, swung around and tried to lop the swordswoman's head off with his axe in a lateral strike. Lyn barely dodged it, having rolled back on her heels and backpedaling rapidly away from the bandit. Another swing nearly cleaved an arm off, but apparently left the perfect opening for Lyn to exploit; she burst forward and her sword slid home. The thug dropped his axe and clutched at the gash in his chest after she withdrew her sword, quickly cleaning it of the blood that stained it.

The relief in seeing Lyn well was tempered when she saw that more men were making their way across the treacherous terrain from the front entrance to the altar. She turned to ask how the wall was coming along just in time to see Kent punch in the last part of a section large enough to allow for both horse and rider to fit. They both dove through, brandishing their swords, and the sound of metal meeting metal sang through the opening. "Lyn, it's time to go inside!" Adelessa started Lyn toward the opening, then ran for it herself as the bandits started to chase them.

Entering the temple built around the altar found her in a chaotic mess. A few bandits each went to the two entrances; Lyn immediately started to fend one off, only to have Kent thunder past and leave her opponent only as a body on the ground. Sain was locked in combat with another bandit, the metal of his sword flashing in the light and reflecting ancient tapestries hanging from the walls. Windows let the rapidly-setting sun filter in, bathing the room in orange and red light. "Kent!" she called; he pulled up next to her, his horse tossing its head and snorting. "There – on that throne-like seat – that man has an intricate sword with him. Take him out with your lance; he has a sword!" Adelessa watched as he started off and then yelped when a bandit appeared suddenly in front of her. She dropped back and scrambled only to have her back against a wall and a very angry man with an axe in front of her. She looked left, right, _anywhere_ to get _anything _to protect herself-

She grasped the tapestry behind her, tugged it from the wall with strength born of fear, and hurled it on top of the bandit. It didn't hurt him – far from it – but she was able to dash away to the far end of the room where she was relatively safe from another attack. _I can't hope to last a second fighting one of these brutes; the next time one finds me, I might not be as lucky._Almost as if her thought summoned him, a bandit dashed into her line of sight. The young woman threw herself backwards, plastering herself against the wall-

But the man paid her no heed. It was only when her immediate surge of fear faded that Adelessa saw that he had abandoned his axe and was running full-bore for the door. The brunette whirled and gasped in a breath when she saw that Sain and Lyn were charging forward, driving the bandits out even more now that they'd already started to turn tail and flee.

Her attention slipped past those two to where Kent and who she supposed was the leader of the thugs were locked in combat. Kent's lance was a blur as he lunged forward, the weapon barely deflected by the other man's broadsword. His horse danced backward when he pulled back on the reins, avoiding the return strike that the man leveled at him. From there, he used the lance's greater reach to land a grave hit on the other man. Continuing to move away from the man, he watched warily as the man dropped to one knee and clutched the bleeding wound in his gut. "Surrender and return the Mani Katti," the cavalier demanded, "and you won't have to die here."

"I'll never surrender to the likes of you weaklings!" the man snarled back, his face drawn with a grimace of pain and hatred. "The sword will be mine!" He tried to tug a blade out of an intricately-detailed sheath and growled when it didn't budge. With that failure, he grabbed his own sword and lunged up to attack Kent – and promptly ran right into Kent's waiting lance. Adelessa winced and looked away, squeezing her eyes tightly shut; she had seen it coming, but it was still jarring to watch a man die by his own actions. When she had composed herself, she ventured over to a doorway on the far side of where Kent was coolly cleaning off his lance.

"I've found the priest!" she called, offering the older man a hand up. Like it seemed with all the plainspeople, he was more spry for his age compared to people of the other nations: she got the impression that he could have stood on his own without her assistance despite his age. "Are you hurt, sir?"

"Thanks to you and your companions, I am unscathed. You have my gratitude," he said, straightening his plain white over-tunic once he was standing. He had a humble, unassuming aura permeated with calm; it was a welcome change from the crazed atmosphere of frantic fighting. All four came close without crowding, parting for him as he made his way to where the man had left the stolen sword on the seat at the front of the room. He paused to close the eyes of the man who had attacked and taken the sword by force, murmuring a prayer that they could barely hear and couldn't understand. He straightened and carefully grasped the sword. It was almost as if the room held its breath when he picked it up and ran a hand down the sheath; Adelessa could feel the tingle of magic being released flow from the sheath.

"Is the sword safe?" Lyn asked, breaking the sudden, hushed quiet that had descended on the group.

"Yes. I had sealed the sword safely away," answered the priest, carrying it reverently back to where Lyn waited at the front of the group. "Until I had removed my spell, the sword could not be drawn. Now, as a token of my gratitude, I shall allow you to lay hands upon the Mani Katti. Touch the blade's pattern, and pray for a safe journey."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Lyn stepped forward and gently rested her palms on the swirling designs that decorated the sheath, bowing her head reverently. In that instant, Adelessa felt a chill run down her spine and goosebumps popped up all along her skin. The brunette sucked in a breath instinctively as the sheath flashed, the designs glowing white even as the first burst of light faded. "What? Did—The sword. It's… glowing," Lyn said, dumbfounded with amazement.

"Ah. Hm…. It's the power of the spirits. They have looked into your soul, and they call out to you." The priest smiled widely at her, his eyes dancing in the light with pure joy.

"What does that mean?" she asked, looking up at him.

"You are its rightful owner," he said, his words heavy with reverence and awe. "You are to wield the Mani Katti."

"No – I can't – I _couldn't—_"

"It is the sword's wish," the priest said firmly. "If you require proof, draw it from its sheath."

Lyn hesitated. To do such a thing – to try to draw the Mani Katti – was no insignificant feat. One of her hands drifted across the sheath, up to the hilt. She gently grasped it, shakily drawing in a breath. With a single, fluid motion, she drew the shining sword from the sheath, the decorations the same on the blade as the sheath that housed it. "It came out effortlessly," she breathed, her eyes wide with wonder.

"I never dared to hope that I might meet the wielder of the Mani Katti in my life. I am indeed fortunate to see your sword reach your hands," he said, resting a hand on one of Lyn's shoulders.

"_My _sword?" she asked, her voice shaking a bit.

"It is time for you to go, Lyn," he said firmly, holding her eyes with his own. "You face a great many ordeals. Grip this sword and meet your destiny head-on."

"Yes," she started, but her voice faltered. Adelessa could see that Lyn's grip on the sword tightened as she raised her chin. "Yes, sir!" Lyn said, her voice ringing out clearly. In that moment, Adelessa could see what the priest had: Lyn was going to be a grand warrior, a notable figure in history. She would have her share of trouble, of hardship, but that wouldn't stop this proud, strong woman from fighting through and taking control of her destiny. Rubbing absently at her arms, Adelessa tried to smooth away the goosebumps that prickled across her skin again.

It wasn't until the group stumbled out into the last waning rays of the setting sun that any in the group found themselves shaken out of their reverent spell. "So that's the Mani Katti," Sain said, gazing at the blade that rested at Lyn's side. "I've heard that it's a blade with no equal."

"This is all so unbelievable," Lyn admitted, smoothing one hand over the hilt as if to remind herself that it was there and hadn't disappeared when they left the temple. "The most famous sword of my people… in _my_ hand."

"It is quite incredible," Adelessa agreed, staring at it before looking up at Lyn. "It's almost like a story."

"It's not so strange," Kent interjected. "Like Aydie said – in legends, special blades all over the land call out to their proper owners. And yet, when I saw you draw that blade …" He struggled for a moment and Adelessa knew he suffered the same problem she did. It was impossible to put words to how they all felt in that moment when she drew the Mani Katti. "I felt something extraordinary," he managed. "That sword was _waiting _for you. It's almost as if you were meant to draw it."

"Stop it!" Lyn protested, her face flushed with an uncharacteristic blush. "I… I'm nothing special!"

"Think of it this way," Adelessa said quietly. "Some weapons feel more comfortable in your hand, right? Well, the Mani Katti itself feels comfortable with you." She shrugged a little, smiling sheepishly. "It's not your sword so much as you're its wielder, if that makes any sense. I bet, even if they tried, that Sain and Kent couldn't use it."

"It… does feel right in my hand," Lyn said after a long moment of quiet thinking. "A blade that only I can wield – that seems reasonable enough. I can understand that. Look at it – this is the Mani Katti." She held it out and let it catch and reflect the red light from the last sliver of the sun. "This is my sword. I must care for it well."

"And I know you will," Adelessa said. She saw her determination echoed in Lyn's eyes and the way Kent and Sain held themselves. "With it, there's _nothing_ we can't do."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Many thanks to **patattack,** **Bartholomew Kamiro, **and **AquaticSilver** for reviewing!

The exposition on different kinds of religion and magic are mostly my own, though the types and religions themselves are originally not. Nothing besides Aydie belongs to me. :3 I do like speculating on deeper parts of the world, however. You can probably expect to see a little bit more of this through here. Building extra bits in the world gives it a little more life; there's a lot that isn't explicitly stated.


	4. Band of Mercenaries

Band of Mercenaries

Adelessa longed to reach the next town on the mountain trail; even after riding the sturdy Rea for as many days as she had, she would never get used to the long hours on horseback without being able to stretch her legs. She felt the grime of the road thick on her skin and longingly dreamed of the next time she could take a bath. It wasn't that she disliked traveling – really, she quite enjoyed it – but the fact was that she had previously traveled with a caravan where stops in town were frequent. With this group, it was rare that they stopped in town any longer than to pick up a little bit more food before they started off again. Sighing longingly to herself, the brunette stared off into space.

"Like what you see?" Sain's laughing remark immediately snapped Adelessa out of her daze to find that her unfocused stare had been leveled directly at him. She felt the immediate burn of her cheeks as embarrassment swamped her and she quickly looked away from him.

"Sorry," she managed to say. "I didn't mean to stare at you. It was an accident." Sain earned a glare to his back when he turned around and chortled merrily to himself; he only laughed harder when he saw her sulking at that.

"Oh, come on, you know it's funny!" he wheedled. When only a grumpy "harrumph," answered him, he shrugged; something had her unusually grouchy. Usually she'd laugh along with him at herself, not take the teasing to heart like this.

That _something_ was a combination of being embarrassed, her legs being sore, and the fact that Adelessa just couldn't shake the sense that something wasn't right. There was something in the air that had her on edge. Whatever it was didn't seem to be bothering Lyn, Kent, or Sain. She tried to convince herself that it was just her being moody or paranoid, but she couldn't make herself believe the paltry attempts. She ran a hand through her hair and growled when her fingers caught on a knot; nothing seemed to want to go her way today! When she saw that the rest of the group had drawn to a stop, she frowned and slowed her horse. _Is__that__… __smoke?_ Her hand flew to her mouth, reins forgotten, when she came level with the others at the crest of the hill, horrified.

Part of the village was intact, but most of it had obviously been ransacked. Fires still burned in the ruins of houses; elsewhere rubble laid in blackened piles, evidence of where a building once stood. There were stained, half-collapsed homes, the inside dark with soot and damage. People were tending to the injured in the streets while other grim-faced residents tried to save what was left of the town from collapse. Some were salvaging what was left from stores raided: food, supplies, even farming tools – nothing was safe.

"This place… It's…" Lyn said, her eyes pained. Adelessa empathized with her: it was a horrible sight to see even for someone who didn't suffer through it once before.

"The entire area is in ruins," Sain noticed, his voice muted but furious. "Why doesn't their baron do anything to help?"

"A group of vicious, ruthless bandits lives on Taliver Mountain and rules this area – no baron holds power here." The hate and pain in Lyn's voice forced the attention of the knights. Adelessa closed her eyes, her heart aching for Lyn. "My village was near here – just on the other side of the mountain, actually. My people were… the Taliver Bandits came at night. It took only took that night." Lyn stopped for a moment, her mouth a grim slash in her face. "Including me, there were less than ten survivors from our entire tribe. The Taliver Bandits are soulless beasts. I will _never_ forgive them. _Never._"

"Lyndis-"

"I'm not running away," she said, squeezing her knees to start forward to the town. The other three followed suit, silent. "I _will_ be back someday. I'll be stronger… I _will_ break their swords beneath me like twigs beneath a stallion's hooves. I _will_ avenge my tribe. I'll do everything in my power to end this scourge. But not right now."

"When the time comes, bring me with you," Sain said.

"Sain," Lyn said, turning to him with eyes deep with emotion.

"Don't forget me, either," Kent added somberly.

"Kent…"

"I hope that you'd let me be there as well," Adelessa said quietly.

"You, too, Aydie? I… you're…" Lyn struggled with herself for a moment and then smiled sadly, but with gratitude. "Thank you."

Then they were in the village; Lyn slipped off her horse and immediately set to work tending to the injured. The townsfolk were surprised and concerned for a moment, but, when they saw how she worked, they silently accepted her help. Sain and Kent went to one of the collapsed houses, offering their horses and their backs to assist with clearing debris. For her part, Adelessa found the reason why Lyn had insisted on having so much extra food: the people in the town were all but starved with how much food had been taken. She made it her mission to go around and give people a square meal. The sight of children so happy to have even the dried fruit and tack bread tugged painfully at her heart. She forgot all of her own troubles; they paled in comparison with this little community, ravaged so terribly by men who thought themselves above and beyond the law.

It was only well after the sun had set that the work was declared finished for the day. Adelessa sighed and sat back against the wall, grinding the heels of her hands into her eyes to try to get them to stop stinging from all the soot and dust in the air. A house had fallen to the ground and thrown all sorts of stuff into the air; they were lucky that it didn't hit the house next to it, otherwise it would likely have made that one collapse as well. Still, her eyes didn't agree with the dust at all.

"Here – use this." The young woman looked up to see a kindly woman smiling down at her and offering her a handkerchief.

"Thank you," Adelessa said, taking it and using it to dab at her watering eyes.

"Do you have a place to stay for the night? We have enough room for you if you'd like to stay for the night," she offered. "I know at least one member of your group is already asleep, and it would be terribly dangerous to travel at this time of night."

"I think I'd like to stay the night, thank you," Adelessa said gratefully. She was tired to the bone; even if they were going to continue traveling, she didn't think she could last any amount of time in the saddle. "Where…?"

"Follow me – you can stay with my family tonight. We're glad to have you – and thank you for all of your hard work." Following the kind woman, Adelessa decided that she was only going to sit down once she was done with everything else for the night; the way her feet throbbed, she knew she wouldn't want to get up again after she sat down. Staggering into the house, she toed off her boots and set her pack down by them. As soon as she was shown her room, she peeled off her over-tunic and draped it over a chair.

She would not have been surprised if someone told her that she was asleep before her head even hit that gloriously soft pillow.

A soft shake of her shoulder had her bolting upright, instantly awake. "Easy! Good morning to you too, Aydie," came a familiar voice. Adelessa squinted in the bright sunlight filtering in through the window, smiling when she recognized the bright orange hair of the man she'd nearly hit.

"Good morning, Kent," she replied. A yawn surprised her at the end of her greeting. She swung her legs out of bed, accidentally kicking the pillow she'd thrown on the ground when she'd abruptly sat up, and stretched luxuriously. "Are we leaving already?"

His chuckle was infectious. "It's already three marks after dawn, Aydie. We had to get you out of bed so we can leave soon – we do want to make progress before noon." She laughed at that, lowering her arms to her sides.

"I suppose that wouldn't be a bad idea," she agreed. "Let me get ready and I'll be right out. Are we eating on the road?"

"No – some of the villagers offered for us to share their breakfast. We saved some for you." He waved and stepped out as the young woman started to gather her belongings. She pulled on her over-tunic, not bothering to fasten the front over the yellow tunic and black leggings underneath. With that on, she sat and struggled with her hair for a while, dragging her comb through it to try to rid it of the snarls and tangles from sleeping on it. When her hair shone again, she emerged from the room only to find the group waiting in the kitchen of the house. She couldn't help but smile when they cheerfully greeted her.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Sain teased, elbowing her slightly. She laughed and shooed him away, sitting down and starting without preamble on her breakfast. "We'll be leaving once you finish that."

"That's what Kent told me," she said right before she took a bite of bread. She hurriedly chewed and swallowed, continuing with, "I'll be ready to go then."

"We've already saddled the horses – we figured you'd be ready quickly," Lyn said. "You look much better for a good night's rest, Aydie."

"There's little that sleeping on a real bed won't fix," Adelessa replied, grinning. "Camping out on the hard ground is only bearable for so long." She took a few quick sips of water once she finished her meal, standing and pushing in her chair. "Where are the people who normally live here?"

"They're already outside, working on rebuilding; they said to wish you fair travels," Kent said. "Shall we go?" Adelessa nodded and pulled on her boots, lacing them up tightly, before she picked up her bag and headed out the door. She swung up into the saddle of her horse feeling much better for the good rest that she'd gotten, only to hear faint shouts from the other side of the village. Frowning, she went ahead of the others to find out what was happening.

"Wait right there, little lady!" a man said, grabbing the arm of a petite girl. Her pale violet hair bounced in waves around her face as she tried to tug away, the light armor protecting her chest and arms gleaming in the light. She stood between two men and a pegasus, its pearly white coat and feathers as bright as the white garments the girl wore under the armor. It tossed its head and neighed when the girl cringed away from the man when he demanded, "What are you going to do to apologize? Huh?"

"Uh… I- that is, I…" she stammered, her voice shaking with fright.

"Hey, she's quite a catch, eh, buddy?" the other man said, elbowing the man and leering at the girl. "I bet the boss'd give us a pretty penny for her."

"Yeah," the first agreed. "She roughed me up a bit, so I figure fair's fair. It's no more'n she deserves."

"Aydie? What's wrong?" Adelessa had been about to charge forward – to do what, she had no idea – when Lyn's voice interrupted her. The tactician twisted in the saddle, her eyes betraying how upset she was. Lyn looked past her when she saw the anger on Adelessa's face. "That… that's a pegasus. Could it be?" She raised her voice, calling, "Florina?" The girl looked over, a pale and frightened face lighting up in recognition.

"Ah! Lyn?" she asked, her voice shrill with fright.

"Florina! What are you doing in a place such as this?" Adelessa turned her horse to let Lyn get through. She took a breath when she saw that Lyn was dismounting: that only meant that she expected a fight. The Sacaean glared at the men and stepped past Adelessa. The man holding Florina let her go and the girl ran and hid behind Lyn, hugging her tightly.

"Lyn! Is it really you?" she asked, her voice thick with tears. "I… I…."

"No crying, Florina – pull yourself together," Lyn scolded gently, her eyes still focused on the bandits. Kent sidled up to her, his hand on his sword. The men on the other side of the road growled and made to draw their axes, making Sain step up to Lyn's left and mirror Kent in readying his weapon.

"Is she the pegasus knight you were talking about earlier?" Adelessa asked, slipping off of her horse's back as well; she didn't feel nearly brave enough to try riding a horse during combat. Now it was starting to look like they couldn't avoid the fight.

"She's my friend," Lyn acknowledged. "This is Florina, a pegasus knight in training from Ilia. She's a little uncomfortable around men," she explained when the girl cringed away from a reassuring pat from Sain. "Tell, me Florina – what happened here?"

"Well, um… When I heard that you had left," she started timidly, "I decided to follow you. Then I saw this village… I flew down to ask if they had news of you. I didn't see these two, and… well…." Her voice trailed off.

"Did your pegasus land on them?" Lyn asked, her tone of voice making it readily apparent that this was far from the first time such a thing had happened with Florina.

"Well, I… a little…" she admitted.

"Aha – you heard her! She admits her fault!" said one of the brigands, shaking his fist as he leaned forward. "She stepped on my friend and now she's got to pay!"

"I- I've said I'm sorry!" Florina cried. "Why won't you listen?"

"Don't cry, it's all right," Lyn soothed, reaching over her shoulder to pat the girl's head.

Adelessa took a deep breath and stepped forward in front of Lyn and Florina, ignoring Sain's caution to stay back. "Listen, she's obviously sorry," she started, looking between the two men. "Can't we just let this be? You don't appear to be injured." She yelped when the first bandit swung his axe at her, only barely missing her as she scrambled back by Lyn.

"No chance!" he brayed. "The girl goes with us – by force if need be. Hey!" he yelled, drawing forth bandits from the forests just beyond the village. "C'mon out now, boys! The men are fair game, but don't put a scratch on the girls!" He laughed and dodged deftly when Sain tried to rush forward and attack, using rubble to prevent the cavalier from getting to him. He backed off and ran down an alley, disappearing from sight even as the other bandits started to get close to the ruined part of the town.

"Aydie, we have to fight back!" Lyn exclaimed, looking around. "We can't let them wreak havoc through here again – or let them hurt Florina!"

"I agree," Adelessa said, then looked at Florina. "You're a pegasus knight, right? Can you fight?"

"Yes!" the girl replied, straightening and loosening her death grip on Lyn.

"All right – listen carefully," Adelessa started, her mind whirling furiously to get an idea of what they could do to win this fight. "We're facing bandits – they're not very strong, but there's a lot of them, so we can't take them too lightly. We should clear them out of here; these people have suffered enough because of these men." She looked up, seeing faces that looked just as determined as she felt. They had helped this town and been given room for their assistance; they couldn't walk away from them in an even greater time of need. "The layout around here will make it difficult to fight with the ruined buildings and walls; watch out for some of the rickety ones that are still standing. I don't want to have to try to dig anyone out at the end of this." Sain grinned at that and Kent nodded. "The same holds true for them, too. If we use these wall right, they may ensure our victory. Especially since we have a pegasus knight who can fly over them," Adelessa said, smiling over at Florina. It widened when she got a shy smile in return from the girl. "Are you ready?"

"We'll follow your orders, Aydie," Kent said. Lyn and Florina both nodded.

"All right – first we need to warn the villagers that the bandits are on the way," Adelessa started.

"Florina and I can take care of that," Lyn offered. Adelessa nodded in reply and she and Florina started off.

"Meet us in the main square when you're done!" the apprentice tactician called after them before turning to address Kent and Sain.

"Oh! Miss Aydie, right?" Adelessa turned to see Florina give her a slight way. "I'm pleased to meet you." The girl bounced over to her pegasus, leaping up into the saddle and quickly strapping her legs to the restraints on the side of the saddle; instead of stirrups, there were those straps that would keep the rider on the steed's back even during inverted flight.

"And for us?" Kent asked.

"We should hurry to the other side of the village – I saw most of the bandits head that way," Adelessa said. "And there may be villagers over there that need to be warned still." Kent offered her a hand up; scrambling up behind him, she held on tight to the cavalier, glad that he was only going at an easy canter rather than a full gallop – or, worse, a trot. _I__'__d__ be __bounced __right __off!_ she thought while she scanned the alleys they passed for signs of either bandits or townsfolk. The walls made it hard for her to see anything, but she caught a glimpse of a man kicking at a locked door down one street. "Sain – go over there!" she ordered, risking a fall to point in the direction of the bandit she'd seen. The green-armored cavalier peeled off from her and Kent. Adelessa quickly wrapped her arm back around Kent's waist to keep from slipping from behind him.

"Here," Kent said after a minute more, slowing his horse to a walk. "We're in the main square of the village." Adelessa slid off of the horse, clapping her hands to get the attention of the people milling around – those few who hadn't been alerted to them clattering into the square in the first place, that is.

"Pardon me! Please don't panic, but there are bandits on the far side of the town!" she yelled. Shocked and frightened murmurs rose up after her warning as people started to retreat to their homes to barricade themselves. "My companions will be fighting them off – please, for your safety, stay indoors. Please, take care!"

"You're going to help the village?" asked a woman – the woman, Adelessa recognized, who had lent her a room in her home the night before.

"We can't leave without helping you," Adelessa replied.

"That's good," she said, relief plain on her face. "With bandits running about, well… we wouldn't know what to do if not for you. It's not much," she said, offering Adelessa a pouch, "but please, take this money. There's an armory to the southeast of us. Equip yourself as you see fit and help us, please."

"I-I couldn't," Adelessa stammered, holding her hands out. The woman firmly pressed the money-pouch into her hands and curled her fingers over it.

"I insist," she said firmly. "Think of it as payment for all the help you've given us. Let us give you something in return for all you've done."

"I… thank you, ma'am." Adelessa bowed her head, then followed with a bow from the waist. "We'll protect your village. If we defeat these men, hopefully you won't be bothered for some time." She turned to Kent. "Kent, would you mind getting weaponry? You probably know what will be best for now. We don't have time for me to learn, not with the bandits getting closer. I'll stay here to meet the others."

"Are you sure you'll be fine on your own?" Kent asked, worried, as he took the pouch and hooked it to his belt.

"I'm sure," she assured him, smiling. "Go ahead, Kent. Don't worry about it." She watched as he hurried off to the southeast to the armory and got to work helping the other villagers move their belongings inside where they would be safe from the coming battle. The last bolt clicked in its housing to lock the last door when a shadow passed over Adelessa. She looked up to see a pegasus pass over her; looking at where it had come from, she saw Lyn and a young man.

"Everyone on the other side of town has been warned," the swordswoman said once she was within talking distance of Adelessa. "This is Wil – he wants to fight with us to protect the village." Adelessa stopped to study Wil; he stood easily and comfortably, his bow looped around his shoulder and his quiver of arrows easily accessible on his back. He had an arm guard to protect him from the slap of the string against the inside of his arm, but precious little other armor.

"We need all the help we can get," Adelessa said, smiling at him and offering her hand. He shook it firmly. "Welcome aboard, Wil. I'm Aydie. Can you shoot over these walls if Florina spots any bandits?"

"Sure thing!" he answered easily. "Anything you need me to do, Ayde, I can do." Adelessa blinked at him. "What? I'm pretty handy with my bow and I'd love to help!"

"No, that's fine," she said hurriedly, grinning. _Ayde? __That__'__s __a __new__ one._ "We need to wait for Kent and Sain to come back – or just Kent to come back," she corrected as Sain turned around a corner and walked up to them, "before we launch any offensive. At least we can help protect the square if they get this far."

"I don't think they will," Sain said. "I rode around here quite a bit. It looks like they're all mostly to the northeast of here, running around in the rubble. They're busy trying to find if there's any good loot left down there."

"Alright – ah! Kent! Did you have any luck?"

"Plenty," he said, smiling slightly. He made short work of meeting and greeting Wil and then quickly passed out the weapons he'd bought. "I'm sorry that I didn't get a bow for you," he apologized as he handed Adelessa back the pouch; she was surprised to feel that there was still plenty of gold left within it.

"No worries – this one's nice and sturdy, and I have plenty of arrows," Wil replied, waving his hand. He frowned slightly when he saw that Florina was cringing behind Lyn. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

"I'm sorry, Wil," Lyn apologized when the girl squeaked and tried to hide even more. "Her name is Florina. She's scared of men, and you… you've got a bow."

"Oh! Right! You're a pegasus knight. I apologize for frightening you, Florina."

"I'm sorry too…" she said timidly. "Even looking at a bow – it frightens me ever so much."

"Of course, I understand," he said, waving his hand to dismiss her apology as unnecessary. "But you should really only fear the enemy's archers, not your own. I won't be shooting at you, after all!"

Adelessa clapped her hands together, interlocking her fingers. "Now that we're all here and supplied," she started, "we should really push these bandits out of the town. I remember there being a fast path along one of the walled streets to the northeast – we'll take that route. There's a split there – Lyn, Kent, I want you to go east at that point. Sain, Wil, I want you to go west. Clear out the bandits in those areas. If my hunch is right, the leader will probably be on the east side of that split. Florina, stay in the air and engage enemies if you see that either groups need help. Just be careful – you're at a disadvantage using that lance against the axes they're carrying. I don't want you hurt, okay?" She waited until Florina nodded in response. "I'm going to follow Lyn and Kent." She looked over when Wil raised his hand. "Yes?"

"Why don't you just ride on Florina's pegasus and watch the battle?" he asked.

"Huey is… he is strong enough to hold someone besides me," Florina said slowly, looking at Adelessa.

"Ah, no, I think I'll be okay on the ground. Thanks for trying to find a good solution, though," Adelessa said hurriedly; the last thing she wanted to do right now was ride on a pegasus. "All right – let's go ahead and finish this fight." She started toward the road that would lead them to where Sain had last seen the bandits. Sain and Kent passed her quickly, scouting forward but staying in sight. The sound of several wing beats let her know that Florina had taken to the air again. Picking up her feet, she started trotting down the street.

A clash of metal made her pick up her pace, though Lyn passed her before she got to the source of the sound. She could guess what it was for – and found she had guessed correctly once she rounded the corner. Kent and Sain both were fighting brigands, their swords flashing in the sunlight and nearly blinding her for a moment. She heard Lyn holler a battlecry and watched as she ran forward, Mani Katti drawn, to engage another enemy. The bright, loud "_twang_" of Wil's bow made her jump to one side; he ran past her to pepper a fourth man with arrows. Florina dove out of the sky to spear one of the men, her pegasus flying her up to safety again before any could even think to strike her.

Adelessa rushed forward when Kent and Lyn defeated their opponents, all three of them pressing on through the street. Their greater speed was hampered by the swell of bandits; Adelessa wasn't sure if she should be glad that she could keep up with them or not in this sort of situation. She skidded to a stop in between Lyn and Kent when she saw the man who had held Florina earlier. "You!" he snarled at them. "Draw your swords! We won't have any of your stinking apologies!"

"Hey, listen!" Lyn demanded, stepping forward. Adelessa saw that her knuckles were white from gripping the Mani Katti so tightly. "There's something I wanted to ask you."

"Begging for your life so soon, wench?" he sneered. Lyn ignored the pointed question, focusing intently on him.

"Are you Taliver bandits?" she asked.

"Taliver?" the man echoed, disdain thick in his voice. "Those greedy monsters? We're nothing like them! Those fiends will even kill women and children! We're from Ganelon and we know a little something of honor. We don't harm women, for one thing. Heh," he laughed, leering at Adelessa. "After all, why kill what you can sell?"

"Hold your tongue!" Kent demanded, but stopped when Lyn shook her head.

"If you're not Taliver," the swordswoman said, "then I don't have to fight you. Walk away and you won't be pursued."

"You… you…." The man's face went purple with rage at her calmly-spoken words. "No more courtesies! You're going to learn to watch your tongue when speaking to Migal of the Ganelon Bandits!" He lunged at Lyn, swinging his axe madly. Lyn danced out of the way of the first several blows, but a glancing blow caught her side and hurled her back.

"Lyn!" Adelessa cried, darting over to her friend while Kent surged forward to take on Migal. Falling to her knees next to her, she allowed herself a sigh of relief when she saw that Lyn wasn't terribly injured. _He __must __have __caught __her __with __the __blunt __part __of __the __axe,_ she thought, pulling a vulnerary out of a pouch on her belt. She slathered a fair amount of the cream over the bruise that was already forming and was glad when she saw the worst of the color grow lighter as the medicine sank into her skin. Lyn's eyes fluttered open when she groaned, levering herself up into a sitting position. "Easy – you're not too badly hurt, but you took quite a hit."

"Thanks, Aydie," Lyn said, "but I need to finish this fight." Adelessa looked over her shoulder even as she helped her friend stand: Kent had fallen back, one piece of his shoulder armor dented and his face drawn with pain. Adelessa nodded and moved out of Lyn's way as she came at the man from his side. Migal hardly saw it coming; he certainly didn't expect that she would be back on her feet at all for the rest of the fight. His face was a grimacing mask of surprise as the Mani Katti sunk deep into his chest. "I will _never_ forgive your kind," Lyn hissed to him, her eyes flashing with anger. She roughly jerked the sword out of him and he staggered back, his eyes going glassy.

"Ugh – you'll live to regret this," he rasped out, staring wide-eyed at Lyn, who calmly gazed back. "My brothers… the Ganelon Bandits will not let this stand!" His legs crumpled under him and he fell to the ground, face-down.

"We'd best check if the others need any help," Lyn said, starting for the road. Adelessa watched as she walked past and glanced over at Kent; shaking herself out of her daze, she followed after the plainswoman next to the red-armored cavalier. They found that Sain and Wil didn't need any help; they had just finished when Lyn arrived.

"I'm glad that's done," Adelessa sighed, feeling tension drain from her. They had been lucky; the bandits hadn't attack any of the houses. _That __could __have __gone __so__ much __worse,_ she thought.

"Lyn!" Florina called as she landed, unlatching the straps on her saddle and going over to hug her friend. Lyn returned the embrace, patting the girl on the back.

"Florina… why are you here? You're supposed to be training!"

"Do you remember the knighting ceremony of the Pegasus Knights of Ilia?" Florina asked.

"Yes – you're supposed to be training for a year with other fighters to hone your skills. Is that what brought you here?"

"Yes. I wanted to talk to you before I set out. But when I went to Sacae, I heard that you had left with some strangers, and…."

"You were worried about me?" Lyn asked, backing up a bit and holding a now-blushing Florina at arm's length. "Thank you, but I'm more worried about you."

"Me?"

"You said you don't like men, correct?" Florina looked over when Adelessa spoke up. "Most mercenaries are men. I can't imagine that that would work well."

"I just… I'd always dreamed of being a pegasus knight. I imagined that it would just work out somehow. After today…." Her eyes welled up with tears and her bottom lip quivered as she looked down at her hands, fussing with the hem of her shirt.

"There's no reason to give up your dream!" declared Sain, making Florina squeak and look up at him as he suddenly invaded her personal space. "Lovely Florina! I have the most brilliant idea! You should come with us – with the addition of Wil here, we're a fine group of soldiers," he said, waving widely at the group.

"Wait, did he just include me?" Wil asked Kent.

"Sain…" Kent growled.

"And freelance to boot!" the other cavalier finished, smiling broadly and wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Don't you see? We were destined to meet here! It's fate! Come on – Lyndis' band of mercenaries is as good – no, better than any other training group you could hope to find!" He gave her a winning smile.

"Sain, this isn't a joke!" Kent scolded, scowling at his fellow knight.

"'Lyndis'? Um, Lyn? Mercenaries?" Florina looked terribly confused and glanced over at Lyn for answers.

"I can give you details later. This is all a bit rushed," she sighed. "But Sain does have a good point. Would you like to travel and train with us, Florina?"

"Travel with you, Lyn?" The girl's face lit up with joy. "Truly? I would be so… so happy!"

Sain took his chance to kneel in front of Florina, his eyes sparkling. "Fantastic! Beauteous Florina! I am a knight of Caelin – my name is Sain-" Florina squeaked and jumped back, hiding behind Lyn. "Ah…" he sighed, "beautiful – and yet so modest!"

"You know, we can work very well as a band of mercenaries," Adelessa said to Lyn. Kent frowned at that, his eyes letting one know very well that he heartily disapproved of this.

"I agree," Lyn said. "We can't leave Florina all by herself. She needs special attention – would you two mind helping her? Kent, she should like you since you're so calm and quiet. And having another girl around will be good for her, Aydie."

"I'd be happy to take care of her," Adelessa said. She turned to Wil next. "Would you like to join us? We'd be happy for your continued assistance."

"It really is all right if I travel with you?" At her nod, Wil continued with, "Then I'd be glad to stay. Truth be told, all of my money was stolen, and I'm… at a bit of a crossroads. I'd be more than happy to count myself one of Lyndis' Legion!" He laughed and went over to console Sain when Florina continued to avoid him, leaving Lyn and Adelessa standing there watching the group.

"'Lyndis' Legion'?" Lyn said, trying it out. "This is getting stranger every day, Aydie." She looked surprised when the brunette laughed whole-heartedly, her face lit up with mirth.

"Oh, Lyn – somehow I knew it would," was all she said in reply.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Awww, Florina. She's too adorable. And I like how darned cheerful Wil always is. :3


	5. In Occupation's Shadow

In Occupation's Shadow

"Aydie, you look exhausted." Adelessa looked over at Sain when he spoke to her and found that he was gazing worriedly at her.

"Thanks," she sighed sarcastically, running a hand through her hair to try to calm herself down and keep from being too acerbic. She'd woken up in a sour mood, made worse by Sain's unusually annoying antics and overtures. The fact that they'd been riding for hours with no sign of anywhere to sleep besides the woods didn't help any; she wanted to at least have a roof over her head while she slept.

"Hey, sorry," Sain said, actually looking contrite. "I didn't mean to upset you. Are you all right?"

"I'll live," she replied shortly, then sighed. "Don't worry about it, Sain." Adelessa squeezed her knees and urged her horse forward to escape his fretting over her, slowing once she felt she was far enough away from him. She blinked and looked up from where she was glaring at her saddle horn when she felt a light touch on her shoulder. Concern was clear on Lyn's face as she leaned over and rubbed her back lightly.

"I can talk to him, if you want," Lyn offered gently, obviously understanding at least part of her friend's poor mood. "It'll get him off your back – well, for a while, at least," she said, smiling despite herself.

Adelessa managed a smile in reply – until she felt a drop fall right along her hair's part line. Looking up, she recoiled and blinked rapidly as a raindrop fell right into her eye. "Rain?" she demanded, hunching forward to make herself less of a target for the cold drops. _As__ if __things __weren__'__t __bad __enough!_ It was all she could do to not scream in frustration.

"Kent!" Lyn yelled ahead to where the cavalier was scouting in front of the group. When he paused and turned to her, she continued with, "Try to find a place for the night! I think it's time to call it a day."

"Wait," Wil interrupted. "I know this area well enough from traveling around here. There's a place we can stay up ahead."

"By all means," Kent said once the group caught up to him, "lead on, Wil. We'll follow you." The archer bounded forward and the horses started after him at a walk. Adelessa wished that they had an extra horse for him to ride on; they would go faster and get out of the drizzle that threatened to break over them at any moment if he was able ride. She flinched when another fat drop hit her nose, the cool water reminding her that winter had only just finished and could still make them all miserable if there was a morning frost.

"Ah-hah!" Wil's triumphant exclamation startled her right out of her grousing. "This should work just fine." Looking over, she couldn't help but wonder where they would be sleeping. Confusion turned to dismay when he pointed at the crumbling remains of a fortress and declared, "Tonight's bed!"

Adelessa saw Sain glance at the group and tried to school her face to a neutral expression; she knew she didn't do so fast enough when he asked, "This mildewy old fortress? Is this the best we can do? Come, Wil – surely you jest!"

"The bandits keep everything in turmoil around here," Wil explained seriously. "No one has time to worry about travelers. There's too many of us to board in one place, anyways."

"We couldn't find another village to help?" Adelessa muttered under her breath. Her words were covered up by Florina landing near the group from where she had been flying overhead.

"Are we stopping here for the night?" she asked, peering around her pegasus' head to talk to Lyn. The plainswoman thought for a moment, then nodded.

"This will be fine," she decided. "Who wants to be stuck inside, anyway? I prefer a place where I can feel the wind blow." Heaving a sigh of the long-suffering, Adelessa started forward when Lyn began to make her way down the slope. Even being at the tail end of the group she could hear the banter between Sain and Kent.

"And for your protection, your man-at-arms Sain will be right here by your side, ladies."

"Sain, both you and I will remain awake. We will alternate the watch."

"Ah …."

Despite her gloom, Adelessa couldn't help but chuckle at their lively talk. Shaking her head at their silliness, the tactician-in-training steered her mare into one of the more open areas in the fortress where the rest of the group had entered. There they were making an impromptu stable. After securing her horse and removing her tack, Adelessa made her way into one of the more intact rooms deeper in the fortress.

"Any idea what we're going to have for dinner?" Sain asked the group as a whole. Wil perked right up, grinning.

"I'll make dinner," he offered. "You'll have to give me a bit to catch a rabbit or something, but I can make a mean stew!" He bolted off without waiting for anyone else to answer, his bow in his hand and humming a chipper tune to himself. Adelessa watched as he bounced off, surprised by the resourcefulness and eagerness of the archer. She moved across the room to sit on a decently stable stack of square stone slabs and leaned back against the wall. Grateful that she had a chance to relax for a moment since the archer was taking her normal duty of making the evening meal, she closed her eyes.

"Aydie?" Adelessa's eyes popped open when she heard someone calling her name, shaking herself out of sleep and sitting up straight from where she'd been slumped against the wall. "Easy," Wil laughed, offering her a steaming bowl. "Here's dinner. I thought you might want to eat!" Warmed by his thoughtfulness, Adelessa took the bowl and the spoon he handed her shortly after with a smile. "There we go," he cheered, his eyes dancing. "There's the smile we've been looking for! Feeling better?"

"I am," she replied, cradling the bowl with her hands while it rested on top of her legs. "I guess I was just really tired." She blew a little air across the stew in her spoon to cool it before gulping it down. "Thank you, Wil." He grinned and plopped himself down on a nearby slab; it was only then that Adelessa realized that they were the only two in the room. "Where are the others?"

"Hm? Oh, don't worry – Kent, Sain, and Lyn will be back in a minute. They wanted to get a look at the fortress, see how the rest of it looks. Florina went to go get more water," Wil said. He popped back up to his feet to help the pegasus knight when she entered the room, struggling to carry the heavy jug. Helping herself to some stew once it was set down, she seated herself next to Adelessa and quietly set to eating.

Adelessa quickly found that Wil was more than happy to chatter away even if no one else was speaking. It wasn't chatter that bored and wore on the nerves; he entertained the two with exaggerated gestures and lively stories of childhood adventures. Even Florina laughed, surprising all three of them with her ease around Wil and sending them all into another fit of laughter.

The other half of the group entered at the tail end of one of Wil's stories. "… so I grabbed the rope," he said, miming it in the air, "and swung across the river. Sure, I slipped and fell in the water – I never got scolded so much for being a mess in my life – but that was one of the best adventures in Ostia I've ever had!"

"Talking about the capital province now?" Kent asked.

"Something like that," Wil replied. "Help yourself to some stew – there's plenty to go around." The newly-arrived members of the group had just settled down when Adelessa heard, of all things, a knock. She frowned, put her bowl down, and stood, waving at Kent to stay seated when he moved to stand up.

"I'll get it," she said. "You finish eating and get ready to take the first shift of the watch." Adelessa hurried for the front of the fortress before he could protest her going on her own. She wanted him to get some rest and food; he'd need it for the long night of watches. Blinking at the discovery that there was actually an intact wooden door in this fortress, Adelessa opened it to find a woman looking back at her. "Well met," she said.

"Well met, and your pardon, milady – forgive my intrusion," the woman said, bowing slightly. Plain brown hair was pulled over one shoulder in a loose braid and gray eyes met Adelessa's green. She was thin, but not in an unhealthy manner, but Adelessa noticed that she favored one leg. Right after that, she noticed that it was near sunset and that the sky had cleared; only a few clouds remained of the gloomy rainclouds of earlier.

"No, I don't mind. Come in," Adelessa offered, holding the door open for her.

"Thank you – my name's Natalie. I'm from a village not far from here…" Natalie started to say, then winced in pain when she stepped heavily on the one foot.

"Are you alright? You're favoring that leg – we have supplies if you've been injured."

"It's fine," she said with a sheepish smile. "Don't worry. It's from a childhood sickness. I can't travel far on it, but it doesn't trouble me much."

Adelessa made sure to stay at Natalie's walking speed as she led her toward where the group was eating. "What are you doing out here on your own?"

"I'm looking for my husband," Natalie replied. A heavy sigh fell from her, her face downcast. "I heard that he was in this area. He said he was going to raise money to have my leg mended. He left the village several days ago and hasn't returned yet. He's a kindhearted man," she insisted, "but I think he might be involved in something dangerous. I got so worried…" She fumbled in a pouch for something as they entered the room, handing it over to Adelessa. Unfolding the piece of paper she'd been handed, the brunette found it to be a portrait sketch of a man. "It's a poor likeness at best, but… his name is Dorcas. Do you know of him?"

"I'm sorry," Adelessa said gently, hating that she had to let down this woman. "I don't believe we've seen or heard of him. We just got in the area, though," she continued, seeing the crestfallen look on Natalie's face. "We'll keep our eyes open."

"I see…" she said quietly. "If you do meet him, please give him a message. Tell him that Natalie is looking for him."

"I'll tell him," Adelessa reassured her, "I promise. Would you like some stew? We have plenty extra." After handing Natalie over to Wil – he happily worked to make her at home with the group – Adelessa went to speak to Lyn. "Where are Kent and Sain?" she asked, having noted their absence when she entered the room with Natalie.

"They finished just after you left – Sain's checking over their weapons, armor, and tack while Kent starts his watch up on the roof," Lyn replied.

"And Florina?"

"Setting up the bedrolls in the next room over. We figured we'd get that ready now instead of when we're all exhausted."

Adelessa nodded in agreement. "That sounds good. At least we have a roof over our heads-" She turned toward the doorway with Lyn when they heard pounding footsteps and clattering armor; Kent stood in the doorway, one hand on each side of it and his eyes grim.

"Landy Lyndis – outside the fortress," he announced. "Bandits to the south!"

"What did you say?" she asked even as her hand flew to the Mani Katti's hilt at her side.

"Persistent bunch," Wil piped up. He stood, rolling his shoulders. "Do we go out and face them?"

Adelessa had a moment of shock when all faces turned to her for orders, still not entirely used to commanding more than just herself and Lyn. "No," she decided quickly, her mind whirling. "Natalie can't move well – that would just put her in danger or slow one of the cavaliers down. Let them come to us – we'll fight here, within these walls. These few rooms are very defendable," she said, nodding to Florina when she entered the room, having heard the commotion. "All we really need to do is hold out until they tire and leave. Sain, Kent, Florina – get the horses and pegasus ready to fight." As the three left, she turned back to Lyn and Wil. "This fortress has two main entrances – an eastern door and the main entrance. Lyn, will you take the eastern part?" She nodded and Adelessa turned to Wil. "Most of the bandits will stay at the main door to the south – you and the cavaliers will stay there. I'll have Florina stay aloft above us to keep an eye on the battle. Sain, Kent, go with Wil to the main door," she ordered when they returned. "Florina, take to the sky – watch out for archers. If you see anything, let me know immediately!" Adelessa knelt next to Natalie once the group started to splinter off to their tasks. "Don't worry," she reassured her. "Nobody will hurt you."

She left the room once Natalie seemed less shaky, heading to the main entrance. There Kent and Sain stood ready, their swords drawn. Wil stood slightly behind them, his bow strung and an arrow ready in one hand. The two cavaliers sallied forth when the first bandits arrived at the main door, their actions complementing one another as they surged into the attackers. Not only did they strike down their opponents with their swords, but their steeds also counted as weapons themselves: hooves stomped down on legs and bucking kicks knocked away more than one brigand. Arrows flew in and peppered those that weren't defeated in their first charge; Wil coolly aimed and fired time and time again, unfazed when his arrows missed their mark.

Adelessa took all this in with a moment's glance; she rushed around the corner to where she'd sent Lyn to hold the eastern door. It was enough of a shock to her that she recognized the broad, brown-haired, unshaven man currently shouldering his way that she stopped dead in her tracks. Lyn's strike was only pulled when the young woman blurted, "Dorcas!" Both stopped to stare at her as she ran up, fumbling in her over-tunic for where she'd left the paper, only to remember that it had been left in the main room. "You're Dorcas, correct?"

"… how do you know my name?" he asked, hefting a throwing axe slightly higher as he stared suspiciously at her.

"Natalie told me – what are you doing with these bandits?" she demanded.

Dorcas looked to the side, refusing to meet her gaze. His fingers relaxed on the handle of the axe before tightening with resolve. "I need money," he said simply.

"Maybe you do, but – but joining up with brigands?"

"It's the only way to earn gold in these parts." The axe was pulled back in preparation to throw; Lyn leaned forward, matching his tension. "I'll do anything… even this."

"For gold? Anything? Would you hurt your wife?" Adelessa was glad to see that both warriors hesitated. She forged on. "Natalie is here! We're protecting her."

"What?" Dorcas all but dropped the axe, he was so surprised. "Natalie's…" he sputtered, taken completely off guard. "She's here?"

"She was worried – terribly worried – and came to look for you. Think – would this make her proud? Would she want her legs fixed with money bought with blood?" Adelessa demanded, getting in close to the man. She could see him thinking as muted expressions crossed his face. "Well?"

"… you're right," he sighed, tucking the throwing axe in his belt. "I can't do this. I'm done with these bandits – here and now."

"Really?" Adelessa could feel the tension drain from the situation as Lyn turned from Dorcas and instead watched the doorway again.

"Yes," he rumbled, his voice low. "And I would repay you for your kindness toward Natalie. Allow me to fight for you."

"We'd be glad for your help," Adelessa told him. "Lyn, will you be alright if Dorcas goes to a different area?"

"I will," the swordswoman answered. "There hasn't been any trouble over here as of yet."

"Then follow me this way, Dorcas," she instructed, hurrying back to the main entrance. She skidded to a halt when she rounded the corner and nearly ran into a big patch of white; while backpedaling, it focused into a pegasus. Adelessa frowned, looking up at Florina. "What's wrong?" she asked when she saw that the girl's face was even paler than the normal Ilian shade.

"They're breaking down the western wall!" Florina cried. "And there are archers all along the western side!"

Adelessa hissed out a breath; this was not what she wanted to hear. Two entrances for them to enter was bad enough. Three could mean that they'd be overrun. The sound of bricks crashing to the interior's stone floor was enough to decide the matter for her. "Dorcas, go to where they're entering the fortress on that side," she ordered. "Wil!" The archer looked over when she called his name, acknowledging her with a short nod. "Change of plans – I need you to go with Dorcas here to protect the western side."

"All right, Ayde," Wil said, trotting off after Dorcas and cheerfully introducing himself before they were out of earshot.

"Florina, stay with Natalie," Adelessa continued. "If it looks like we're going to be overrun, take her out and get to safety." She shook her head when Florina started to argue. "This isn't up for debate, Florina. If that ends up being the case, your actions will make it possible for us to be able to retreat. Understood?" Adelessa waited until Florina slowly and hesitantly nodded before she said, "Thank you."

Turning toward the main entrance, Adelessa quickly judged the situation there: from the number of bodies lying on the ground and the fact that Sain and Kent seemed to be doing just fine made her wonder if she wasn't just being nervous about the whole thing. Their blades flashed in downward cuts, downing bandits left and right as they wrought havoc in the clump of ruffians. She darted around the corner, only to find Lyn removing her blade from a man's chest and wiping it clean of blood. Going back to the main entrance, she heard the tail end of a shout from outside.

"Curses! They're not human!" someone bellowed. "Listen up – retreat! Pull back!"

Sain and Kent clapped each other on the shoulder, grinning as the bandits retreated. Adelessa sagged against the wall for a moment, glad that the fight was through, successful, and without any casualties. Picking herself up, the young woman started for the western wall.

"All done, Ayde? Everyone ran away from over here," Wil said, his bow held at his side despite the quiet the bandits had left in their wake.

"The fight is done," she affirmed, nodding at both of them. "Good work, Wil, Dorcas. Wil, could you get Lyn and have her meet the rest of the group at the main door?"

"Sure thing," he said, loping off.

"Dorcas? May I have a word with you?" she asked next. Dorcas stopped in retrieving his throwing axes and straightened, waiting silently for her to go on. "You need money to help Natalie, but nobody wants you to become a bandit to get it. I'd like to offer you a place with our group – we'll pay you fairly and what you need to heal her leg."

"You would do that for us?" the big man asked, eyebrows drawing down with a confused frown.

"You're a good person. You helped us when we needed it. Though I do have to say, it will probably be dangerous if you were to travel with us – Lyn has bandits and assassins after her. Talk it over with your wife – you don't need to decide tonight."

"Thank you – I'll talk to her about it," Dorcas replied. "Would you take me to where she is?"

"Certainly – she's this way." Adelessa led him down the hall to the main room. She smiled tenderly when she saw the large man gently engulf his wife in a tight hug, the two murmuring quietly to each other. She was still smiling when she stepped outside to join the group in clearing away the bodies outside of the fortress. They had finished the work and were cleaning off when Dorcas came out, Natalie hanging on to his arm for support.

"Our village is close," he rumbled. "I'll take Natalie home and return tomorrow."

"Hm? Why return in the morning? Can't we just say goodbye now?" Lyn asked.

"Well, I..." Dorcas looked over at Adelessa; she nodded to let him know he could speak. "I spoke with Aydie. I... I've been invited to join your group."

Wil brightened. "Hey, that's great! We'll be happy to have you."

Lyn wasn't as sure. "But we're going to Lycia..."

Dorcas shrugged at her misgiving. "I have to go somewhere to earn money. If you think I'll be of use, I'd like to fight for you. You helped my wife – I owe you."

"Please, Lyn," Natalie said, cutting off a protest from Lyn. "We are both in agreement on this. Watch over my husband."

Lyn frowned and then sighed. "We'd be happy to have you, but I'm worried about your safety," she admitted. "Though if you're sure, we can hardly afford to turn you away. We'll see you in the morning, then."

Adelessa waved and headed back into the fortress with the rest of the group, looking over her shoulder to watch the couple walk off in the direction of the nearby village. _It's__nice__to__see__people__like__that,_ she thought to herself. _It__ reminds__ me__ part __of __why__ I __wanted __to __be__ a __tactician._

"Things have finally calmed down," Lyn sighed, tugging on the band that kept her hair up in its high ponytail.

"Go ahead and rest – Sain and I will continue taking turns keeping watch," Kent said. Sain's dazed and distracted look made Adelessa frown as she entered.

"Is that alright for someone so dazed?" Florina giggled and Wil chuckled when Sain didn't notice Adelessa's question. "Sain?" she called, leaning in close to his face.

"Oh!" He snapped out of it and gave the group a grin. "Er, yes! Of course!"

"Just as a warning, I'm going to tell you something," Lyn told him, leaning forward. "If bandits sneak up on you, they'll have no problems killing you without a fair fight. Do you understand that?"

"What, do you doubt my bravery?" Sain made a show of being hurt. "I'm a knight – there's no need to worry! Right, Kent?"

"If there's anything suspicious," the other knight assured Lyn, "we'll take care of it. Rest peacefully."

"Really?" To Adelessa, Lyn still looked dubious about the idea, but she accepted it. "Well, good night, then. See you tomorrow."

"Good night," Adelessa said, retreating after Lyn to where the bedrolls had been laid out. As she was walking out, she could hear the two cavaliers.

"Let's go."

"Ha! No one ever trusts me..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Many thanks to **AquaticSilver**, **patattack**, and **Gunlord500** for your kind reviews! You guys rock!

For one of my least favorite chapters in the game, I'm actually pleased with how this one came out. Dorcas, unfortunately, is hard to do stuff with – he's so darned quiet!


	6. Beyond the Borders

Beyond the Borders

Adelessa groaned when a beam of sunlight fell across her face and penetrated her closed eyelids, bringing her instantly to full consciousness. _The__ morning __always __comes __too__ quickly,_ she thought, rolling over and pulling her blanket over her head to hide from the light and try to go back to sleep. After a few minutes of vain struggle, she sighed and pulled off the blanket. Her feet padded quietly across the floor as she made her way out of the room where Florina, Lyn, and Wil still slept. _I_ would _pick __the__ spot__ where __the__ light __hits __first._ Adelessa wasn't sure if she should be amused or annoyed with herself.

"Good morning," she said quietly when she saw Sain in the other room. He startled, nearly spilling the papers on his lap all over the floor, and swung his torso around to stare at her.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" he said crossly – but he kept his voice muted, like Adelessa, to keep from waking up the people in the other room. "There's no need to go creeping around."

"What if I was a bandit?" she teased, unable to keep from pressing the cavalier now that he'd shown a chink in his armor.

"I would have smelled you long before you would have gotten close," he replied grumpily. Turning back around, he resumed studying what Adelessa could make out to be a map. She shook her head at him. _Staying __up __all __night __for __the __watch __probably __did__ to__ his __mood __what __rain __and__ lack __of __sleep __did __for __mine __yesterday._ "Kent said we should get on the road again soon – we'll probably have to wake the others up before too long."

"You're sure we can't let them sleep a little longer?" she asked, walking over by him to get a look at the map he was holding.

"See this fortress here?" he asked in return, stabbing a finger at a small spot on the map. "That's where we are right now. The border is only a day's ride away, but we'll have to get moving to hope to make it in time. If we can get across the border," he explained, tracing it on the map, "we should be safe from those bandits."

Adelessa couldn't deny the logic behind that. "Then I'll see about getting them up and ready to go – though we should wait for Dorcas to arrive before we start making for the border."

"Yeah, yeah – I'll get Kent." He got up, stretched briefly, and then clattered off to find his partner. Adelessa, in turn, went to rouse her companions. She wasn't terribly surprised to find that Lyn was already awake and struggling to get knots and tangles out of her long dark green hair. Adelessa gently shook Florina and Wil's shoulders until both of them were bleary-eyed with just waking up but moving around nonetheless. Once she was satisfied that they were both awake and were going to stay awake, she packed up her own belongings, making sure to carefully pack the smaller items in the bedroll so they wouldn't get lost or separated. She passed by Kent and Sain on her way to where they'd made their stable, nodding a good morning to him. Tying the roll on her saddle, she made sure to make the ties were very snug so that there was little chance of her belongings falling off while riding.

"Good morning, Dorcas," she heard Lyn say from the main room; she trotted over to see the large man shouldering a decently-sized pack and wearing plain, durable traveling clothes. "It's good to see you this early – we were hoping to get on the road soon."

"I will be ready to go when you leave," he said simply, hitching the pack to a more comfortable position.

"That's good to hear – we'll be on our way in a couple of minutes, so you won't have to wait long," Lyn replied. "I know I'll be ready once I've attached this to my saddle."

"Everyone else is nearly ready to leave as well," Kent added. "We'll take breakfast on the road while we move. If we work hard today, we'll be in Lycia by nightfall." Adelessa smiled; there were a great many more towns throughout Lycia, which meant more inns and real beds, and – more importantly – she'd be out of Bern again. _At__ least__ we__'__ve__ only__ been__ skirting__ the__ border__ instead__ of__ going__ deeper__ into__ the __country,_ she thought with relief. _I__'__d__ hate__ to__ have__ to __be__ around__ the__ corruption__ and__ deception__ thick__ in__ the__ capital__ right__ now._

"Then let's leave now – there's nothing else we need to do here."

It didn't take long at all for the group to head out; it took even less time for Sain to get comfortable in his saddle and start dozing while he rode. Adelessa shook her head at that. _I__'__d __never __be__ able __to __do __something__ like __that,_ she thought. The flickering shadow of Florina passing over the group as she flew and kept an eye out for anything on the road made her shudder. _Or__ that._

"Once we cross the Bern-Lycia border, we'll be safe from the bandits, right?" Lyn asked after a couple marks' worth of travel. Kent nodded, but it was Wil who answered.

"From what I've seen of the groups around here, we should be. I doubt they'll be willing to pursue us across the border into Lycia."

As if the name of his home country revived him, Sain piped up with a gleeful, if drowsy, "Lycia at last! We've been away from there for such a long time. Tomorrow, we'll dine on a feast of Lycia's finest foods! And," he added, grinning, "the mistress of the inn at the crossing is said to be a beauty. Ah, yes…. Food and love. No better way to restore a man's soul!" the man proclaimed. "This is going to be a fine evening, eh, Kent?"

"If your behavior is as deplorable as ever," Kent sighed, "it would be better if we stayed somewhere else. We're not here for sightseeing."

"Oh, come now," the other knight complained. "That's not fair!"

"Kent, the inn will be fine," Lyn said, cutting off an argument between the two.

"As you say, milady," Kent replied, though his frown showed that he didn't agree wholeheartedly.

"Lyndis! You are truly an angel from on high!" Sain gushed, turning his bright grin over at her.

"It's nothing. Forget it."

"Ah," Adelessa sighed gratefully, "we'll finally be able to get a good night's sleep. No bandits, no frogs, no drafty breezes…." She sat up straighter in her saddle when, with the rushing sound of many rustling feathers, Florina and her pegasus landed near the group on the road. "Florina, did you see something?" the young woman asked, worried that they had a fight on their hands.

"Uh-huh," the violet-haired girl answered. "There's a couple of people in the woods up ahead to the north – they looked like travelers and were arguing. I think they're lost."

Adelessa heaved a sigh of relief; this news was much less worrying than she had been afraid of. "Thank you, Florina," she said, sliding off of her horse. "I'll go see if I can assist them."

"You don't want me to fly you there?" Florina offered. "It would be a bit faster."

"No, thanks," Adelessa said, tugging up her boots a little more to make sure they were snug on her calves. "I wanted to take a short run anyways. I'll meet you at the edge of the forest."

"Take care," Lyn said. "We'll wait for you there." Adelessa nodded and started off at a brisk pace away from the main path that on which they had been traveling for most of the morning. She ducked into the forest, slowing her pace once she started to get into a thicker part to keep from turning an ankle on a root or finding a branch with her face. The faint sounds of a loud conversation filtered through the branches, leading the young woman to where two people were arguing.

"Ooh – we're lost," complained the first, her pinkish-purple hair pulled up in high pigtails on her head. The white dress and purple sash she wore marked her as a cleric in the Church of Elimine, though her voice was far from the usual calm tones that the clergy possessed. "This makes me so mad!" _Did__ she__… __just __stomp__ her __foot? __I __didn__'__t __think __people __actually __did__ that._

"_You_ told me you were certain this was the correct path!" the second person said in agitated response. The locks of dark violet hair were a sharp contrast to his mage's robes. The patterns on the lower hem of the cloak he wore with them signified that not only was he a mage, but that he had earned competency in fire anima magic.

"What's your point, Erk?" the woman asked, turning on him. "What are you trying to say?"

"… I swear, you are _not_ the woman I agreed to escort…"

"What? What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I heard that someone was needed to escort a frail Lycian priestess to Ostia..." Erk started.

"Yes, and I'm that priestess," the woman finished impatiently.

"Frail? You? Serra, you don't need an escort to protect you," Erk said flatly. "Even the most hardened criminal would flee in terror after five minutes in your company. I'll return your money. Gladly. Now, will you _please_ go on to Ostia alone?"

"No!" Adelessa tried to speak up and let the two know of her presence, but Serra's scolding completely drowned out her feeble attempts to speak over the argument. "You're my escort, Erk - _mine!_ You're so clean and tidy. A noblewoman like myself," she said primly, "can't be seen without a proper escort. Your personality's nothing special, but you're not bad to look at."

Erk was stunned into silence for a moment and then shook his head in disbelief. "I believe that's my line," he muttered just loud enough that Adelessa could hear him. "And I have to take you all the way to Ostia? I can only hope my nerves can endure the journey."

"What are you mumbling about? You're so gloomy," Serra said disdainfully.

"Pardon me!" Both of them turned to look at Adelessa with surprise when she raised her voice and spoke loudly enough to speak over Serra's on-coming rant. "I couldn't help but overhear." She tried not to grin when Erk snorted out a dry laugh. "I'm Aydie – I'm part of a group going to Lycia as well. We're going to Caelin, but there's safety in numbers. If you'd like, you can join us for at least a little while."

Serra's reply was interrupted when Adelessa shrieked; someone had grabbed her from behind and snagged her hair, dragging her backward. "I found one!" he bellowed; from the stink thick on him, Adelessa guessed that a bandit had somehow snuck up on her. "I found one of the women in league with that she-devil!" He tugged roughly on her hair; Adelessa cried out at the feeling of the tender hairs at the base of her neck being pulled out at the roots. He laughed, then looked over at the cleric and mage. "Eh? What's this? You with her too?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead drawing his axe with his free hand and waving it far too close to Adelessa's face for her comfort.

"Erk!" Serra screamed shrilly, backing away and holding a staff in front of her as if it would protect her. "Help me!"

Erk winced and shook his head at her screaming. "So loud," he muttered and then yelled, "Serra – behind me! Stay down, miss," he said to Adelessa, briefly glancing at a page in a tome tucked into the crook of his arm. Adelessa hunkered down as much as she could with the bandit holding onto her hair the way he was. She could see Erk's lips moving and the tome glow right before fire leaped at the outstretched fingertips of his right hand. Those flames conflagrated into a fireball the size of a man's head just before the mage flicked his fingers at the bandit. The brigand didn't even have time to realize what was going on before he was immersed in the fire; Adelessa found herself flung to the side, hitting a tree, when the bandit charged at Erk. The mage dodged to one side, but not before one of the sharp points of the axe scratched a bloody line across his chest. He shouted a word that made the hair on the back of Adelessa's neck stand straight up and another, greater fireball immolated the brigand.

"Are you alright?" he called to Adelessa as she picked herself up off the ground.

Taking a moment to check, Adelessa was relieved to find that she hadn't even turned her ankle when she was tossed aside. Her cheek stung from where it had hit a rock or root on her way down, but her hand came back clean when she touched it. "I'm fine," she said. Stepping forward, she wrinkled her nose at the smell of burned flesh and tamped down her gag reflex. "Here – I should have a vulnerary somewhere-"

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Serra said cheerfully. "I was thinking of healing him free of charge. I know, I know – I'm generous to a fault." When she caught Adelessa and Erk both staring at her with equal amounts of disbelief, she frowned imperiously – or at least tried to make it seem that way. "What? Why are you looking at me like that? Praise my generosity for being a kind mistress!" Erk simply sighed and rolled his eyes when she raised her staff. A pale blue glow surrounded him. Watching in rapt attention – she'd never seen a cleric at work before – Adelessa couldn't help but be amazed when she saw that Erk's skin closed and healed smooth without even a scar to show that he'd been injured in the first place.

It wasn't the time for her to marvel over the wonders of the staves that clerics used, however; her mind immediately switched to worry about the fact that they had been attacked by a bandit here. "No!" she gasped; it was likely that the rest of the group was about to be attacked if there had been a brigand in this area. "The group – they don't know they're coming!" Adelessa started for the road when Serra's yell stopped her.

"Those ruffians thought that we were with you! You got us into a bunch of trouble! Now, how are you going to get us out?" the cleric demanded.

"Serra!" Erk said sharply. "My apologies – please, don't worry about it."

"No – she's right. There are probably more bandits in the area," Adelessa admitted, her mind working rapidly to decide the best course of action. "You're probably going to have to fight anyway – we should team up. It will end things faster."

"That's true," Serra admitted, nodding slightly. "Yes! That's a good idea. Erk!" she said, turning to him. She made a shooing motion with her hands at him and then started after Adelessa herself. "Be a good boy and go fight now."

"But I… fine!" he said, throwing his arms up in the air with exasperation. He sighed and fell in behind Adelessa as well. "Which way are we going?"

"This way – follow me." Adelessa hurried faster than was wise in her rush to get back to the group; yes, they were a capable group, but they had become accustomed to her direction pulling all of the people together and turning them into a cohesive fighting unit. It was only when she had to catch herself on a tree trunk after stumbling that she was able to slow down from her headlong rush. "We're not too far now," she gasped, the run and worry stealing her breath. The three burst out of the woods to find Lyn in a stand-off with a bandit.

"Don't think you're getting away so easily!" the one in front sneered.

"Yeah!" one of the ones with him agreed. "You leave alive, and everyone'll think the Ganelon bandits have gone soft!"

"So?" Lyn challenged, her hand on the hilt of the Mani Katti and ready to draw it. "I don't care about your reputation. We have to get to Lycia. Get in our way and we'll have to go through you!"

"Cheeky little thing, aren't you?" the first one said. "Let's get 'em, lads! And no holding back just 'cause there's women with 'em! Wipe 'em out!"

"Lyn! I'm here!" Adelessa shouted. "And with help!" She heard Lyn's shout when the brunette sprawled forward after being tackled by a bandit. Tucking her head in, she propelled herself in a roll and cleared the road. Hearing the crackling sound of a fireball blooming into existence, she popped up and grabbed Serra's hand, dragging her to the group as a whole. "Serra, this is Lyn – Lyn, this is Serra, a cleric," she gasped, waving between the two of them to introduce them. "Keep Serra in the middle of the group – form a ring to keep her, Wil, and Erk safe. We can fend them off with their support!"

Adelessa found herself shoved in the middle of the ring with the three she had designated as Lyn, Kent, Sain, and Dorcas formed a ring. Florina had taken to the sky as soon as the bandits appeared and was fluttering just out of reach of their axes. Erk and Wil looked out warily while Serra screeched something at her escort; Adelessa had stopped listening to her when she started having to think about tactics. Her eyes panned past the backs of their companions to gage what the group was up against. When she saw the numbers of the bandits, her first instinct was to order a retreat. The way the bandits had surrounded them cut off any chance of escape, however, and she could hardly condone leaving those on foot while the rest of the group fled on horseback.

"Push through to their leader!" Adelessa ordered. "Without someone to direct them, this will be a rout – they're too undisciplined to fight effectively!" She had to duck when a rock was thrown at her by one of the bandits. _That__was__too__close!_ That attack flung the group into action: even as Serra hurried over to check that their tactician hadn't been injured, the members of the protective ring rolled back on their heels as the crowd pressed forward. Kent and Sain only merely managed to keep their horses from backing up and stepping on the brunette trying to gain her feet in the seething chaos. Sain cheered in success when his sword struck home, making one of his attackers fall back with an arm laid open from shoulder to wrist. Kent echoed a shout when he felled a man, roughly pulling his sword out from the stab he'd made to the man's chest. Wil's bow sent arrows flying past, catching a thug in the eye. Lyn leaped over his body to trade blows with another of the bandits, her speed and agility letting her dance circles around the more powerful but far slower opponent. A sudden bright flare of flame let the group surge forward even as Dorcas swatted away would-be attackers with heavy blows from his axe at the rear.

"You're gonna learn why people fear the Ganelon Bandits!" crowed the man who had first confronted Lyn. "Scum – you're all scum!"

Adelessa chewed on the inside of her lip with worry while she thought; they weren't going to win the fight at this rate. "Erk," she said, "I need you to clear the way to that man so we can get there faster." Pointing at the leader, the young woman found him sneering back at her. She raised her chin, refusing to be intimidated. A blooming rose of fire answered her request, clearing a small void; before the bandits could fill it back in, Florina darted down and started to worry at them with her swift strikes, keeping them back from that spot until the group had filled it in. "Again!" Adelessa ordered, raising a hand when a searing roll of heat passed over her when Erk unleashed another fireball. Florina swept in, brandishing her lance and using her pegasus' wings to bat at the men's heads, but this time one of them was waiting.

"Florina!" Lyn cried when she saw her friend grounded, rushing forward. Adelessa directed the group forward, feeling numb for a moment but still functioning. One of her units had been attacked and injured; it was to be expected of battle for there to be fatalities, but she hadn't realized just how shocking it could be to watch someone she was responsible for get injured. It was doubly worse that it was the sweet and gentle Florina rather than one of the knights or other main fighters.

"Kent! Sain! Go for the leader!" she ordered; Lyn, Erk, and Dorcas were doing a good job holding their ground around the downed pegasus knight. "End this!" They thundered past, the bandits flinging themselves out of the way so that they wouldn't be trampled by the destriers. She turned her attention from that to where the pegasus was slowly righting itself; its hide on one side was stained red and brown with blood and dirt. By the time Adelessa had reached the pegasus to help prop up Florina, Serra had already started to use her staff to heal a nasty gash that ran across the girl's thigh and down to her calf. Adelessa made herself look at the wound, burning into her memory the result of what could happen if she slipped.

The sound of Sain and Kent engaging the leader reached her; she stood up straight, but couldn't see the battle from where she supported Florina. Glancing down to check on the wound, she saw that the last part was mending shut. She carefully maneuvered the girl to rest against her steed's strong neck and wormed her way past the white beast. Her gaze locked on their fight just in time to watch Sain parry a strike. Adelessa held in a breath as she watched Kent charge in, hacking twice at the leader of the Ganelon Bandits. Two slashes scored the man's torso. Sain was knocked clean off his horse when he took a hit from the flat of the blade, disappearing from Adelessa's sight. Kent doubled back, his horse rearing up behind the bandit. When they came down, Kent's sword buried itself deep in the man's back.

When they saw that their leader had taken a mortal wound, most of the bandits turned tail and fled for the woods and the mountains beyond them. The last remaining few were quickly routed by the rest of the group as Serra and Adelessa ran over to where Kent had dismounted and was kneeling over Sain. Adelessa's heart leaped into her throat; Sain was just lying there on the ground. _Please__don__'__t__be__dead,__please__don__'__t__be__dead,_ she prayed, slowing once they came over. She felt weak-kneed with relief when she heard him wheezing.

"Don't worry," Kent reassured her. "He just took a spill and got the breath knocked out of him. You're going to have one glorious bruise where he dented in your armor," he informed Sain, working his arm under the green-armored man's shoulders and helping him to sit up.

"Great," he wheezed. "What I… always wanted!"

Adelessa looked over her shoulder when she felt a hand on it. She smiled and turned to face Lyn. "Nicely done, Aydie," Lyn said. "That should just about do it."

"What a surprise," Serra added. "You're very strong, Lyn."

"Your staff is quite impressive as well," Lyn replied. "Healing powers are amazing." Adelessa sighed when Serra swelled up at the compliment, having a good idea that Lyn's compliment would only serve to inflate the woman's ego.

"Only those in the service of good can wield them," she said proudly.

"And from the way you helped, I can tell you deserve them," Lyn said, smiling. "You helped us very much. Well," she said, looking over at where Kent was helping to get Sain back in his saddle after taking off that plate of chest armor, "it's time for us to go."

"Take care," Serra said, going over by Erk. "Goodbye, Lyn."

"Fare you well – you too, Erk."

"Well, let's be on our way, Erk," Serra started, turning to go down. Adelessa couldn't help but groan when she saw that Sain had managed to maneuver himself in front of the cleric and was staring at her with awestruck eyes.

"What have we here? Another wildflower? Perhaps a butterfly? What an absolutely delectable creature!" he flattered.

"Oh my!" Serra smiled in return, asking, "Are you one of Lyn's companions?"

"I am – please, call me Sain." He made a slight bow on horseback, sweeping an arm out grandly. Adelessa met Erk's eyes and hid a smile under her hand when she saw him roll his eyes. _He __really __can__'__t __be __hurt __that __badly __if __he__'__s __still __up__ to__ his __capers._

"I'm Serra – I serve House Ostia."

"Serra," Sain echoed, dragging out the word as if savoring it. "What a lyrical name. I," he said, pressing a hand to his chest and drawing himself up proudly, "serve Castle Caelin."

"Oh! So is Lyn a member of the marquess' family?" Serra asked leaning in.

"She is the granddaughter of Marquess Caelin," he replied proudly.

"Hmm… such an important person." Erk and Adelessa traded suddenly apprehensive looks at each other at Serra's thoughtful tone.

"Serra," the mage started, speaking to her slowly and in a tone of warning, "what deviousness are you contemplating now?"

Serra, of course, completely ignored him and giggled happily to herself. "Having a person of power in your debt is never a bad thing!" she declared finally.

"You can't be serious," Erk managed after he'd snapped his jaw shut again.

"Oh, Sain!" Serra simpered, batting her eyelashes at him. _And__ he__'__s__ caught,_ Adelessa thought to herself when she saw the look on his face. "Do you think we could join the lady Lyndis' company? She seems like such a _nice_ person and I would _ever_ so much like to help her." The cleric finished the request off with a cute, appealing smile.

"Of course! We couldn't be happier! Why, we were only just saying how we needed some more fighting power!"

"Were you?" Erk asked lowly, leaning over so Adelessa could hear him. He sighed and shook his head when Adelessa shook hers in a negative answer. "Oh, dear."

"Are you being hunted or something?" Serra asked, overplaying surprise and horror at the thought.

"Yes, an inheritance dispute," Sain answered, shaking his head mournfully. Adelessa couldn't look away from the conversation: Serra and Sain were building off of each other, getting more and more melodramatic as the exchange went on. "Assassins everywhere."

"Oh, my! In that case, my healing staff and Erk's magic should come in handy!" She flung an arm out at Erk.

Taken by surprise at his sudden part in the conversation, he could only manage a weak, "Well, I, er… It sounds… dangerous…. Perhaps we should-"

"Your staff and magic would be extremely helpful – please wait here! I will go and speak with Lady Lyndis on your behalf!"

"Unbelievable," Erk said to Adelessa as they watched Sain hurry off to talk with Lyn.

"This is fantastic, Erk!" she declared, latching on to his arm. "We'll get to travel with these nice people-" she leaned forward to beam at Adelessa, "-and our good deeds will earn us gratitude beyond imagining!" She hurried off behind Sain, humming merrily.

"I…. Did that just happen?" Adelessa asked Erk, stunned by that conversation.

"It did. I… I think I'm going to be ill," he replied, answering her question.

"Well, ah…." She floundered for words for a moment before shaking her head and giving up. "Welcome to the group?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: AquaticSilver**, **patattack**, and **Tom-Ato13** - thanks so much for your reviews on last chapter! I won't be able to get back to any right away this weekend; I'll be in Youmacon. Along with that, I'm taking part in NaNoWriMo - but don't worry! I'll have chapters up like normal through the month. :3 Oh, Serra. I like her far too much. :P

**EDIT:** Fixed the italics. Dumb formatting *grumblemutter*


	7. Blood of Pride

Blood of Pride

"So Lycia is a federation of territories?" Lyn asked, frowning. "How does that work?"

"Carefully," Adelessa answered, then continued with, "Each territory is ruled by a marquess, like your grandfather. They all answer to Ostia-"

"Which is the best of all the territories!" Serra interjected from where she sat on Adelessa's horse. Erk gave his employer a baleful stare at her interruption, rolling his eyes when the cleric remained oblivious.

Adelessa sighed and just kept walking. It wasn't worth the fight to try to convince Serra that Adelessa was as much a lady as she was and would like to be able to ride her horse instead of being forced off of it. It was easier on everyone this way; besides, she didn't mind walking and it had only been a couple of marks of travel. It helped that the cobblestones that made the road on which they were walking were fairly flat and the road smooth. She and Lyn – and Serra – were at the front of the group. "They all answer to Ostia, which is the ruling territory."

"Why not just have a king, in that case?" Lyn asked.

"This way each region has its autonomy," Adelessa replied. "They may answer to Ostia, but they have their own regional laws, customs, and ways of life."

Lyn looked out and shaded her eyes, squinting in the bright sunlight. "So which city is this?"

"This?" Sain nodded at the city. "This is Araphen. After Ostia, it's the second biggest city in Lycia."

"The second biggest, hm? It does seem awfully busy," she commented as they made their way up to the gate. Beyond the gate lay the city proper; they had been passing by outer houses for the last mark or so. The city rose up a gently-sloping hill, allowing a view of Castle Araphen rising above the many other buildings in the city. Kent was waiting for them just inside the gate; Adelessa had seen him off early in the morning when he rode ahead of the group.

"Milady Lyndis!" he greeted them, his horse trotting over to Lyn's. "We should proceed to the castle. They've prepared supplies for us. The marquess agreed to aid us on our journey to Caelin."

"He's going to help us?" Lyn questioned, her eyes alight at the thought of receiving aid to make it to her mother's birthplace.

"Yes. Araphen and Caelin have enjoyed a strong, unwavering friendship for many years. Once I informed the marquess of our plight, he agreed to lend us his strength."

"That's a relief," Adelessa said. "It will be good to have support to ease our way. What will be provided to us?"

"If we could ask him for some soldiers, the road to Caelin would be that much safer." He heaved a sigh, looking over at Lyn. "I'm truly sorry for the hardships you've suffered so far and that we haven't been more able to prevent these attacks."

"Don't be silly," Lyn told him. "You are so capable, Kent."

"Just Kent?" Sain asked, miming at being wounded.

"Oh, and so are you, Sain," she added with a grin.

Sain popped back up, puffing out his chest proudly. "Of course I am!"

"Kent, a moment, please," Adelessa asked. When he paused, she drew close to him, concerned at what she had remembered. "Doesn't this marquess hold a bias against the plainspeople?" When Kent only looked away, she gasped, "Kent! You didn't tell him!"

"He gave his word," Kent said stubbornly. "He will hold to it."

"I hope you're right," she replied, her worries not assuaged in the slightest even while she followed him into the city. _Perhaps this will be salvageable and Marquess Araphen will overlook his hatred of the people of Sacae._

The group had barely made it down the street when Adelessa heard the distressed cry of, "This is terrible! The castle is burning!"

"What did you say?" Sain demanded. He and Kent moved to draw their horses close to Lyn, scanning the now-panicked crowd for trouble.

"Smoke! From the castle!" Adelessa's eyes caught on a man heading toward the group instead of away. She stepped forward, only to realize that she wouldn't be able to intercept Lyn when she slid off her horse and moved toward the man.

"Who are you?" Lyn asked when he waved her closer, taking only a cautious step.

"You!" he called, his hands on his legs as he caught his breath. "You're Lyndis, aren't you?"

"Ah!" Lyn recoiled back when he drew a knife; the recognition of the name in her actions was enough to tell the assassin that he'd found his target. Adelessa tried to get forward in time, but she couldn't move nearly fast enough to protect Lyn from the wicked blade that the man was bringing to bear. The group froze when the man gurgled as an arrow sprouted from his neck. "Wil!"

"It wasn't one of mine!"

Adelessa stared at the man holding a bow, the collar of his rust-colored Sacaean tunic bearing a pin that marked him as a captain of the guard. It was hard to tell the color of his hair beyond that it was dark thanks to a bandana that covered most of his head. He was on a palomino horse, one much like those that Lyn and Adelessa rode. His bow was recurved, different from Wil's longbow. Lyn followed her gaze in time to see him before Kent and Sain rushed to her side. "Milady Lyndis!" Kent said, inspecting her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said, though her voice shook and she was obviously recovering from the fright. "He… this man saved me." Lyn nodded at the nomad, meeting his eyes.

"May I ask your name?" Kent asked him somberly. He reached out a hand when the nomad turned his mount and made to ride away.

"Wait!" Lyn cried, causing him to stop. "Why did you help me?"

"I thought a Sacaean plainswoman was being attacked," the nomad replied, not turning to face the group. "I was mistaken."

"No, you're right!" Lyn's words made him turn partially to study her. "I _am_ from Sacae – I'm Lyn, the daughter of the Lorca chieftan." She gestured at her clothing; while covered with dust from traveling, the bright designs could still be seen through the offending grime.

"The Lorca?" he asked skeptically. "There were survivors?" He shook his head, cutting off Lyn's answer. "You should leave at once. A fire is spreading from the castle and attackers are wild in the streets. Don't be foolish and waste the life I just saved," he told her, turning away again.

"You're from the castle? What's happening?" Adelessa received a steady, impassionate look from the man. She steeled herself and continued to ask the questions that would let her know how bad the situation really was. "How bad is the fire? Is the marquess safe?"

"The castle is under attack," he said with deliberate patience, "and the marquess has been accosted. The man who attacked you was likely one of the marauders. As captain of the castle guard, it's my duty to rescue the marquess."

"I see," Lyn murmured. She raised her head and looked the man in the eye. "All right then, we'll help you." Both of the Sacaeans ignored the protest of Kent and Sain, intent on their exchange.

"Why?"

"These brigands are after me," she admitted. "If they're attacking the castle, it's because of me." She drew herself up taller. "I can't sit here and let them cause this chaos, not when it's my fault."

Studying her for a moment, the man nodded. "Let's go." He started down the road, matching the pace of the running of those on foot. "I am Rath of the Kutolah. Our tribes may be different, but I will not abandon a woman of Sacae."

"Thank you, Rath!" Lyn grinned wolfishly. "A thousand blessings upon you!"

"And a thousand curses upon our enemy!" he finished, a similar grin making him appear all the more forbidding. He looked forward at the castle, but Adelessa found herself skidding and making an unexpected turn when he made his way for a courtyard and then a residential area. "Once the marquess is safe, my men can move in. Perhaps the secret passageway will work for this."

"Secret passageway?" Lyn asked.

"An underground tunnel leading to the throne room," Rath explained. "There are triggers in the barracks that will open the tunnel. Two are in the main barracks and one is in the smaller storage building to the south."

"Head through the passage to the throne room… and rescue the marquess. Once that's done, can you drive the enemy from the castle?" Adelessa gasped out, looking up at Rath.

"If we can release those triggers, my men and I can handle the rest. There are three triggers. All three need to be released, or the entrance won't open." The group stopped outside the barracks, those on horseback dismounting. Rath tried the door and cursed enough that Florina hid her face in her pegasus' neck, blushing. "The doors are locked and I don't have the keys. The enemy's within. If we don't get inside and finish them, we're stuck."

"So opening these doors has to come first before we can worry about the enemy," Lyn said. She turned to Adelessa, worried. "What shall we do, Aydie? We don't have any keys with us."

"Some of the marauders may have keys, but none are out here. And those doors look too strong to break down easily." When the brunette saw how despairing Lyn looked, she quickly added, "but we could try talking to the people who live around here. Someone might be able to help us. Sain, Kent, Florina – each of you go to a house. Rath, would you mind doing so as well? Lyn and I will go to this one over here," she said. "We'll meet back here to see what we've gathered and see if we've made progress."

Going to the house to which she had motioned, Adelessa barely knocked on the door when it opened, revealing a young man leaning against the doorway. His blonde hair spiked above easy-going but sharp, intelligent eyes. He grinned, his body language relaxed – at least, what she could read of it that wasn't covered by the red cloak that obscured much of his upper body. "Hey! Can I talk to you?" he asked them.

Lyn traded a look with Adelessa, who simply shrugged in answer, and then turned her gaze back to the young man. "We were coming here to talk to you. Who are you?"

"I'm Matthew, a specialist in acquisitions of all kinds," he said cheerfully. Adelessa raised her eyebrows in interest. _That he was waiting at the door for us and happens to be a thief…._"Would you like to buy my services?" The offer was accompanied by an expectant pause, as if he already knew the answer.

"We don't need a thief to help us," Lyn said, trying to mask her disdain when the thief's grin grew even wider. He didn't even try to argue with being called a thief; instead, he looked away and inspected the other side of the doorframe.

"Really?" he asked politely, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes. He looked altogether too innocent when he asked, "And how do you plan on opening those barracks doors?"

"What? How did you know about-"

"Bulls-eye!" Matthew chuckled at Lyn's consternation and Adelessa's mix of amusement and concern. "Don't be mad," he soothed, turning to properly face the two. "Hire me. For you, I'll even lower my normal rate." His eyes drifted over to Adelessa, probably because she seemed more willing to listen and consider his offer than the swordswoman next to her.

"We do need those doors opened," Adelessa reminded Lyn. The Sacaean frowned for a moment before sighing in defeat, knowing that she was fighting a losing battle. "All right – you're hired," she said to Matthew. "I'm Aydie – this is Lyn."

"Well, then, we'd best be off," Matthew said cheerfully, squeezing out of the house between the two women. "Good thing I made sure to have my lock picks with me today!"

"Why did you choose to ally yourself with us?" Lyn asked him suddenly, striding forward to walk next to him; Adelessa could tell that she was unwilling to let a crook lead her around by the stiff set of her back and the clipped tone of her voice.

"Hm?" The blonde looked over at Lyn, seemingly unruffled by her obvious agitation with him. "I was watching the battle from up above," he said, jerking a thumb at a window on the upper story of the house they'd just left. "Your group looked like a lot more fun than the dead guy." He grinned widely. "Pretty simple, really."

"That's- you- that's hardly a reason to pick a side in a fight!" Lyn told him, her words laced with a biting tone that more than told what the plainswoman thought of his attitude and behavior. Instead of offending him, the comment seemed only to amuse him more if his continued laughter was any sign. They returned to where they'd left the group, finding that the others had returned from visiting the neighboring houses as well. Adelessa noticed the flash of recognition on Serra's face and turned to look at Matthew; it was only there for a moment, but she was shocked to see a serious, warning – almost threatening – expression that he directed at the cleric from a face that had only been cheerful and easy-going so far.

"This is Matthew," Lyn said to the group, dragging Adelessa's attention from the thief – who now, she suspected, was studying her just as intently as she had briefly studied him – and back to the current situation. "We've hired him to help us with the doors."

"That's good," Sain said. "When I visited, the man in the house had a key, but it doesn't look like it's very good quality. I think it will break if we aren't careful with it."

"Then we'll only use it once, on the south part of the barracks," Adelessa decided. "Wil, Erk, Florina, Sain – you go over there and find that switch. It's a small building, so I imagine there aren't too many enemies down there. The rest of us will search in the main building. Matthew, could you get this door open?" she asked after dismissing the four.

"Certainly!" He kneeled in front of the door, pulling out several tools from underneath the red cloak that concealed most of his torso; Adelessa caught a glimpse of a bright green shirt underneath, but it was quickly hidden again when he moved his arms to begin working on the lock. Concentrating intensely, he made minute adjustments to the thin wire-like tools, positioning them in the lock by feel. A satisfied grin announced that he'd pushed the last tumbler even before he leaned back and said, "There you go – one unlocked door."

"Be careful," Adelessa said to the group, holding the door closed for a moment. "We're only going to have a moment of surprise – maybe not even that – before the men inside regroup and start fighting back. I want to make that moment count. We can't be dallying around with these marauders; the castle is burning and it's necessary to get to the marquess as quickly as possible. Kent, I want you to lead; Dorcas, Lyn, you two follow him. Rath, I'd like you to provide support," she requested, waiting for him to acknowledge that with a nod before continuing. "Matthew, Serra, and I will bring up the rear. Follow Rath – he can best lead us to these switches. Are you ready?"

Adelessa opened the door and darted out of the way of Kent's charge. He had barely cleared the door before Lyn and Dorcas followed after him, their weapons drawn and ready for combat. An arrow sprang from Rath's bow before the nomad had even entered the building. Adelessa waited for a breath's length before going through the door herself, Matthew and Serra on her heels.

Her first impression of the barracks left her greatly impressed; the wooden walls and carpet floors were much warmer and more inviting than the stone exterior had led to believe. The hallway was wide and tall, giving combatants plenty of room to maneuver. Adelessa could see her allies strung along the hallway, each fighting their individual battles. Rath, even while fighting, was purposefully pushing forward to the end of the hallway; Lyn, Dorcas, and Kent both followed him and worked to clear his path.

She jumped when Matthew's voice suddenly piped up right near her ear. "Hey! Unless my eyes deceive me, that's a chest!" Adelessa turned around to scold him for startling her when she saw the two chests sitting in an alcove in the hallway. "Say, Aydie – since we came all this way, what say we help ourselves to a little bit of treasure?" he proposed, his tone carefully cultivated to sound helpful rather than crooked.

"We're not going to take anything from the marquess," she said firmly. "Really, Matthew – stealing from the man we're trying to save?"

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Don't be a bore. If you want to win," the thief wheedled, "you've got to use every means at your disposal." _Oh, he read me well, all right._"That's an ironclad rule! Yeah, I know stealing's bad – I'm well aware of that," Matthew said, staving off Serra before she could get a word in. "We're saving the marquess, right? This is just an advance on our reward, nothing more. Besides, no one will notice in all this fighting and they seem to be doing just fine without our help."

She had to admit that he made a good case for his roguish actions. Adelessa nodded slowly, unable to deny the logic and pragmatism in Matthew's suggestion; besides, she was curious now what the barracks would have in a chest like that. "Fine," she agreed after a minute. "But just to help with the fight."

"Good – I knew you'd come around and change you r mind." Matthew wasted no time in going over to the chests, taking out his lock picking set again. He grinned to himself, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "Treasure time, treasure time," from where Adelessa was standing nearby, watching their backs to make sure that they wouldn't be attacked by an errant marauder. Gleefully throwing open the top, Matthew carefully pulled out a plain white robe, looking disappointed for a moment.

Adelessa leaned forward, feeling her fingers tingle when she reached toward it. "It's an angelic robe," she told him, drawing her hand back and shaking it slightly. She stared at the white, almost gauzy fabric, seeing a faint shimmer play across the folds. "It's supposedly used to give a person a stronger constitution. I didn't realize there were any still around; they were mainly used in the past several centuries. Didn't the church stop blessing them years ago?" she asked Serra, who nodded slowly after a moment to remember if that was the case.

Matthew looked thoughtful, holding it up. "This is good for those of us on the… less robust side." He looked slyly at Adelessa out of the corner of his eye. "Like me, for example."

She couldn't help but chuckle even while she shook her head. "Not until after the battle, remember? What's in the other one?" she asked, eager to see its contents despite her earlier reservations against raiding the chests. Matthew gave her a knowing grin and winked. She glanced up quickly; the fighters had nigh unto decimated their opponents and were pushing the last couple of enemies back to the end of the hall.

Her attention returned to her immediate surroundings as Matthew bent back over and went to work on the second chest, popping it open even faster than he had the first. "Oh, nice," he breathed, reaching down and pulling out a heavy sword. He propped it on the corner of the chest. "An armorslayer! You'll want to give this baby to someone who can wield it properly, otherwise it's a waste of a perfectly good weapon."

"Right – I'll make sure Lyn or Kent gets it when they make it back this way." Adelessa nodded to herself; yes, that would work well if she gave it to one of them-

"Aydie! We've got this switch," Lyn called from the far end; moving for the hallway proper, Adelessa went to see. They'd defeated the enemies over there and Rath was studying the floor. Adelessa felt a thrill of triumph when his horse stepped forward and an audible "_clack_" resounded through the building.

That moment of victory was sundered quickly by Serra's shrill shriek. Whirling around to the cleric, Adelessa saw that the switch had succeeded in opening up another room. Unfortunately, that room had several startled mercenaries inside – and one was advancing on the defenseless cleric.

"Serra!" Adelessa cried, running forward. She may not have been able to protect Lyn when the assassin nearly succeeded in his attempt on her life, but she could keep Serra from harm. _I won't let anyone get hurt, not while I'm in charge of them and not because of any of my shortcomings!_ She had the brief impression that Matthew was also sprinting to Serra's defense, but he had been further away to start and wouldn't be able to make it to the cleric in time. Shoving the cleric away from her attacker, Adelessa had a moment to see her shocked face and turn to half-face the mercenary before cold fire cut along her side.

A pained cry rent the air as Adelessa staggered back to stand over the downed cleric. It took her a long moment to realize that it was hers; pain screamed from her side and tried to drown out all other thoughts. The sickening feeling of hot blood – _her_ blood – staining her hand as she held it to her side was a shock. She'd been injured before, but not for a long time and not like this. Only another split second passed before she saw that the sword was being raised again for a second strike, her blood gleaming on the metal.

Adelessa froze, staring at the blade. Time slowed to a craw for her; she could see, in perfect detail, the world around her. Not only the sword, but the roughly-shaven man who wielded it and his ruthlessly impassionate face as he prepared to cut her down. Beyond him she could see the last switch tile – it was blue and upraised – and was glad that they'd found the armorslayer only a minute before: a fully-armored knight stood before it, blocking any who might want to trigger it. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the rest of the group – especially the angry and horrified Lyn.

But as time started to speed up again, she saw a blur of red and gold run up behind her attacker. A hand covered his face as a knife flashed across his neck, drawing a bloody line across it. He tumbled gracelessly to the ground as Matthew neatly side-stepped the body, his red cloak clean of any blood. The ease with which he completed the action told Adelessa that this was far from the first time he'd killed a man in such a way. Lyn reached her side just as the young woman's knees buckled; Adelessa was vaguely aware that people were talking to her and tried to pull herself out of her daze.

"Use the armorslayer!" she gasped, causing the faces crowded around her to contort in confusion. "It's on the chest – there's a knight, you'll need a special weapon to fight him!"

"She has to be alright if she hasn't stopped giving orders." Adelessa herself smiled at that; she was learning to expect Matthew's wry humor even in tense situations.

"How can you say that?" Sain's voice demanded in return, anger clear in his clipped tones. _When did he get here? Did they finish already? _"She's bleeding like a stuck pig!"

"It's not that bad," she tried to protest, pulling her hand away from her side and ignoring how sticky it felt. She flinched when Lyn eased her down on the floor, the cut slicing down her ribs at an angle sending a bolt of pain up her spine in protest. That flinch turned into a shudder when she felt magic pouring into her body. It tingled almost painfully, not like the soothing sensation she'd expected from Serra's healing – she knew the cleric was working from the pale blue nimbus she could see around her. The gasp of dismay that followed once the tingling sensation faded didn't reassure her any. "Just go," Adelessa said stubbornly, opening her eyes fully to stare down Lyn through the haze of pain through which she was fighting. "Worry about me after you've opened the passage. The marquess comes first. Use the armorslayer – Matthew, could you get it for her? – and defeat the knight and then come back once you've secured the castle."

"But I can't just leave-"

"It's your duty, Lyndis," Adelessa said, sharper than she meant to. She tried to soften it with a smile. "Go on. It's not that bad – I was just surprised, that's all." Still feeling pain from her side, she grabbed a vulnerary out of her pack. Lyn stood with some misgivings, leaving with her cavaliers to fight the knight. Adelessa could see them cautiously form a semi-circle in front of him – until a red cloak blocked her field of vision. "Hey-"

"You know, that was a damn fool thing to do," Matthew scolded, taking the vulnerary out of her hand. Dipping his fingers in the salve, he deftly applied it to her wound. "Serra, don't tell me your staff doesn't work on more than just bruises!" Adelessa looked down at her side.

"I'm still bleeding?" That wasn't right – she'd seen Serra activate her staff and saw the magic around her. Her wound should have healed over and mended already.

"You think I didn't try, Matthew?" Serra snapped back at the thief over Adelessa's stupefied question. "Whatever happened wasn't _my _fault!"

"Oh, shut up," he muttered mutinously, ignoring her insulted screech. Adelessa hissed in pain when he placed a pad of cloth over her wound and applied pressure. It only let up for a moment when he drew back; it returned fully when he wound long strips of cloth that Serra handed him around her torso. "There. You shouldn't bleed too badly, at least. Hopefully that vulnerary works quickly." Adelessa earned herself a frustrated look when she started to stand. "_Now_ what stupid thing are you going to do?"

"I can't see what's going on," she said shortly, more worried than angry. Matthew rolled his eyes and moved to the side, offering her a clearer image of the fight that didn't require her getting to her feet. Dorcas had joined in on it and was easily overwhelming the knight with his axe; Adelessa could already see one large dent that hadn't been there the last time she saw his armor. Erk flicked small fireballs at him, leaving a singed smell that made Adelessa wrinkle her nose. Sain and Kent, while not terribly effective, worried and distracted him with their lances. For her part, Lyn was staying back, letting the other three work to wear the knight down. Seeing his vulnerability at the same time as Adelessa did – he extended too much to try to pierce Sain after the cavalier taunted him – she sprang forward and let the specially-made blade sink home deep into his chest.

"Gah! Lord Lundgren," he gurgled, slumping down and then laying still. Rath triggered the switch. With a low rattle, a section of the wall slid away, revealing a dark tunnel into which the nomad quickly disappeared. Adelessa sighed with relief. _There it is – the hidden passageway. Good; we can let Rath and his guard take over from here to rescue the marquess._

"Aydie! Take it easy," Lyn said, kneeling next to the tactician-in-training. "It's alright – you can rest now." Adelessa sighed and closed her eyes. _Rest does sound good,_ she admitted to herself, _but there's far too much that I still need to do before I can sleep._

"Is anyone else injured?" she asked.

"Nothing that Serra hasn't taken care of already," Lyn reassured her. "We're all fine now."

"Well, that's good," Adelessa said. She frowned and then gave up on just sitting and resting; using the wall as support, she slid up it until she was back on her feet. "I'm fine," she told Lyn when she protested. "Not even too light-headed." Looking out across the group, Adelessa saw that the others were making their way over.

"Back on your feet already – that's our Aydie," Sain said. He almost clapped her on the back before a warning look from Kent made him reconsider the action. He settled for teasing her. "Though next time maybe think before taking on a guy with a sword with your bare hands, all right?"

"Do you even have any martial training?" Kent asked, frowning. Adelessa looked away, unwilling to let him see how much that question stung.

"Kent," Lyn said, her tone telling him to back off in no uncertain terms.

"Pardon me," a soldier said, saluting the group; Adelessa could see him over Kent's shoulder. "Captain Rath asked for me to escort you to our lord Marquess Araphen. Would you please follow me?" Of the group, only Kent, Sain, Lyn, and Adelessa decided to go and have audience with the Marquess; the rest chose to remain outside and keep a watch for any other trouble. The four followed the soldier. Adelessa didn't absorb much from the trip, more worried about the politics of this incident and how they could affect this offered assistance.

"Ah, Rath – you've done well," she heard as they entered the audience room. "What a performance!"

"Sir," Rath said, his quiet voice hardly carrying in the large, ornate hall, "if you have praise, it should be given to this group."

"Hm?" It was then that Adelessa got a good look at Marquess Araphen. A sharply curved nose pointed down over a mouth far more inclined to frown than to smile. Glinting, calculating eyes measured the group. "Who are you?" he asked, shifting forward and causing his regal gray clothing to rustle with the movement.

"My name is Lyndis," Lyn stated, stepping forward. "I'm pleased to see you well."

"Oh… it's you. You're Marquess Caelin's-" He turned abruptly to Rath and dismissed him with, "Leave us, Rath. I would speak with this girl." Rath bowed slightly and excused himself from the room through a side door. "Now… Lady Lyndis. Do you know the identity of those responsible for this uproar?" Already Adelessa found herself on edge; his tone promised nothing but trouble.

"I believe it to be the work of my granduncle, Lundgren," Lyn replied.

"That's exactly right. Which means _my_ castle has been damaged in _your_ family's petty inheritance dispute."

"My-my apologies," Lyn stammered, taken aback by the man's sudden vitriol.

"When I heard that Lady Madelyn's daughter was in trouble, I thought to lend my assistance. I find that I've changed my mind." He sat back in his chair, gazing impassively down at the four who stood before him. "I withdraw my offer."

_Surely,_ Adelessa thought, _I'm just light-headed. Surely the marquess didn't just refuse us those sorely-needed troops to escort us to Caelin._ Kent's appalled protest ruined that hope.

"Marquess Araphen!" he exclaimed, stepping forward. "You gave me you word, my lord!"

"Your name is Kent, is it not?" When the cavalier nodded, the marquess continued with, "You failed to inform me of one most vital detail!"

"What – what do you mean?"

"This girl _does_ resemble Lady Madelyn, but… I didn't expect to see her so _tainted_ with the blood of Sacae," he said imperiously. Lyn's cry of surprise and outrage was drowned out as he continued to speak. "Don't you feel the marquess of Caelin would be troubled to meet this… nomadic mongrel?" Marquess Araphen asked, looking down his nose at the group.

"You-!"

"Sain! Hold!" Kent held the other knight back from lunging forward with one gloved hand to the shoulder and stepped partially in front of him. "My apologies, my lord Marquess."

"Hm. Your man is poorly disciplined," the man said dismissively.

"Marquess Araphen – please… If you would grace us with your aid…"

"I hear Marquess Caelin is ill and abed. I question whether he will survive to meet this girl," Marquess Araphen said, leaning forward in his seat again. "In which case, his brother, Lundgren, will claim his title. I certainly wish to avoid trouble with the coming marquess."

"You scheming…" Adelessa started, disgusted and furious on Lyn's behalf.

"Aydie!" She stopped when Lyn snapped out her name. "I understand," Lyn said, her head bowed under the venomous words. "Kent, Sain, Aydie, we're leaving. Now."

"Milady Lyndis, we-" Kent stopped, grinding his teeth.

Adelessa held no such barriers on herself; she was no knight of Caelin. "After such insult and conniving, he deserves-!"

"I am _proud_ of the Sacaean blood that runs through my veins," she declared, raising her head and fixing the three of them with a firm stare before she turned it on the marquess. "I will _not_ accept aid from someone who slanders my heritage." Turning on one heel, she walked smartly out of the room, her hair whipping behind her with the motion. Her knights were the first to follow.

"Some grand way to treat those who saved your life," Adelessa spat; she had lingered a moment, unable to let this go. "You barons are all the same." She stalked out herself before he could retort, anger letting her ignore any pain that she might have felt at the agitated movement.

"That was well done, milady," Sain was saying to Lyn once she rejoined them. "The marquess is a lout. Don't worry about it. We're all here for you – isn't that so, Kent, Aydie?"

"I beg your forgiveness," Kent said instead, making Lyn look over at him. "I've been so concerned with getting you to Caelin that I failed to take your feelings into account."

"Is that it? Don't worry about it so much, Kent," Lyn told him, smiling. "You've been putting my safety – the safety of the entire group – before anything else. I've seen that. Hold your head up – you should be proud of how you've acted." Her face turned grave as she continued to walk down the hall. "Though I am worried – is this bias against the people of Sacae common throughout Lycia?"

"It isn't," Adelessa said. When Lyn frowned at her, she continued. "It's mostly just Marquess Araphen. I'd heard bits and pieces around town when I passed through her before – apparently he fell in love with your mother shortly before she ran away with your father. Since then he's hated the plainspeople." She frowned. "I'm surprised that Rath is the captain of his guard, since he's also Sacaean."

"Who knows?" Matthew drawled, making Adelessa jump in surprise. They had just walked outside, out of the main entrance to the castle. She hadn't expected him to be there in the slightest. "The ways of aristocracy are beyond me." He kicked off from where he was leaning against the outer wall of the castle. "The group is this way – we'd best be finding somewhere else to stay tonight."

Adelessa nodded in regretful agreement. "Staying in Araphen might not be a wise course of action. It would probably be better to continue traveling and stop elsewhere for the night."

The group was quiet for a long moment until Lyn spoke again. "The marquess of Araphen – he said my grandfather was sick. We need to hurry!"

"As we approach Caelin, Lundgren's obstacles will be more difficult to overcome," Kent warned. "We can't just rush into any traps he might lay out for us. However, I'm determined to see you through to the end, despite any troubles that may face us."

"I'm with you, too!" Sain said, grinning.

"I can hardly leave you now," Adelessa added, knowing that Lyn would understand.

"All of you… thank you for staying with me," Lyn said, obviously touched by their declarations of loyalty. "It's because of all of you that I…" She took a moment to compose herself, bringing her chin up determinedly. "I will persevere! They will never break my spirit, no matter what they may try!"

"Spoken like a true plainswoman." Lyn turned to see Rath behind the group, his bow on his back and a pack attached to his saddle.

"Rath! What is it? Are you here to see us off?" Lyn asked.

"I overhead the marquess talking to himself," he said simply, his voice hard with anger. "Lyn of the Lorca – proud daughter of Sacae – I would join you. I wish to add my strength to yours."

"Really?" Lyn asked, brightening. Adelessa knew it would make a world of difference to have another person of her nationality around, one who understood their customs and way of life.

"And this… I want you to take it. I have no need for it." He tossed Lyn a pouch; from her startled exclamation, Adelessa guessed it was full of gold. "And if it will help you…."

"But…" Lyn started.

"I cannot take back something once offered," Rath told her. Lyn nodded and tucked the pouch away.

"Rath… I thank you."

Adelessa sighed, though she wasn't sure if it was with relief or not. It was back to watching for assassins at every turn. She took a small measure of comfort knowing that their two newest companions were quite capable. _In particular…._ When she glanced over at Matthew, she caught him studying her with solemn eyes. She looked away quickly but had the distinct impression that he hadn't taken his eyes off of her. _You're no common thief, Matthew,_ she accused in her head. _A common thief doesn't have a stare like that. I'll be watching to make sure you cause no harm to Lyn!_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** As always, much love to you wonderful people who leave me reviews! 3 **AquaticSilver**, **patattack**, and **Tom-Ato13**, you all rock my socks! :D You make me want to abandon my NaNo novel (which, incidentally, I'm only two days behind on [from being 5 behind earlier this week x_)))])! Once I figure out how to send cookies through the internet, you will all have some. :3

eeeeeeee, Matthew. 3 I freaking love him~

I'll be doing a lot with him in this fic and the next; some of the fics I read just don't do him justice. There's a lot of potential in his character that lies just beneath the surface in the games. I'll see if I can't draw that out. And I like writing him. :3 Aydie's not so sure about him, though. XD This couldn't end badly at ALL.

Rath's pretty cool, too. Quiet, though.


	8. Siblings Abroad

Siblings Abroad

"Do you always wake up before dawn?"

"Usually," Adelessa replied automatically, giving the answer before she registered that the question had been asked. She looked up from the letter she was reading to see Matthew staring down at her, bemused at how she'd tucked herself on the low windowsill of the inn's dining room. Folding her letter, the young woman swung her legs to the side and stood, taking the rind of the orange she'd eaten to a bin to throw it away. "Good morning, Matthew."

"How's your side treating you?" he asked, glancing down at where it had been under her old over-tunic; she'd replaced that one with a spare that Lyn had packed.

Pulling a face at the question and the reminder that she was still suffering the injury she'd taken for Serra, Adelessa answered with, "Well enough. The doctor down the road sewed up the wound so it will close properly, but it hurts when I move around too much." She tucked the letter – a reply to her question about the date of the upcoming assessment of her journeying – back into her over-tunic, straightening the garment so it hung properly. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Getting into trouble," he said before he laughed. "No, no – I'm just down here to get something to eat." His easy-going grin almost made Adelessa forget just how grim and – well, almost frightening – he could look when serious. _He looked terribly serious when he fought…._

"Oh!" Matthew stopped when Adelessa hurried to his side. "I forgot to thank you for your help in the barracks. Thank you – both for stopping him and for tending to my wound."

"No need to get all formal on me," he laughed. "You would do the same for me. No big deal." He snagged two large bowls of porridge, placing them at a table and looking expectantly up at Adelessa. "I'm sure you haven't had anything to eat besides that orange – besides, eating alone is terribly dull." When she gave in and sat down, he asked, "So where do you hail from?"

"Etruria," she answered, blowing on a spoonful of the porridge to cool it after she'd stirred in some honey. "South-east Etruria. Where are you from?"

"A little town between Ostia and Pherae. It's not even large enough to put on most maps." He shrugged and ate several bites of his porridge. Adelessa had just gotten comfortable with the quiet when he asked, "So how did you get roped into all this?"

"Well," she started, "it all began when the merchant caravan with which I traveled passed through Bulgar…." She wrapped up her story just as he finished his bowl. With no small amount of chagrin, Adelessa realized that Matthew had neatly manipulated her into revealing what she'd done – and doing so in a way that didn't require him to have any input in the conversation. She was about to accuse him of such – whether in a joking or serious manner she wasn't entirely sure – when Wil greeted her from the stairs. Distracted as she was by wishing him a good morning, she didn't have a chance to ask Matthew her questions. She turned to return to talk to the thief only to find that he'd slipped away, leaving her with her half-full bowl of porridge and a lot of questions with no answers.

Matthew managed to stay out of her sight until the group was preparing to leave; even then, he was on the far side of the group, talking quietly to Serra. Adelessa frowned to herself and then shook her head; it wasn't worth it to try to pester him. She wouldn't be able to get anything from any questions he didn't want to answer, not with him being on guard like this.

"Aydie, is something wrong?" Adelessa looked up when Lyn addressed her.

"Oh, no – just thinking," she replied, saddling her horse. Adelessa was glad that she could face away from Lyn; she was horrible at lying directly to someone. "Where I'm going to go when we get you to Caelin, that sort of thing. I've got my journeyman's test once I return to Etruria. After that, I'll be a full-fledged tactician." She huffed out a breath of air tightening a strap and brushed hair off of her forehead. "Then I can see about where I'd like to work. There are lots of places that want good tacticians; if I score well, I'll have plenty of offers to sort through."

"I'm sure you'll do well," Lyn said. "I've seen you at work."

"The only thing is that this is a small force," Adelessa said. "I've always been good with small groups, but large-scale battles have never been my strongest point." She chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment, uncertainty flashing across her face. "I'll just hope that there isn't much of that on the exam." Shrugging, she finished saddling the mare. "It's not such a big deal – for now I need to focus on the present. We're in Kathelet, so… we should be about ten days from Caelin. Is that correct, Sain?" Adelessa asked of the cavalier who'd just walked into the stable.

"Hm? Yeah, that's right. Assuming we don't run into any delays, of course," he added.

Lyn sighed, looking out the window and down the road. "Ten days..." she murmured, her expression a mixture of hope and worry.

"Pardon me, but..." A small voice at her elbow made Adelessa look down. A boy – no older than his early teens, she judged – with bright blue-green hair looked hopefully up at her. Her heart constricted painfully when she saw the streaks down his face beneath his eyes; he had been crying recently.

"Yes? What can I do to help you?" she asked, drawing the attention of the group when she went down on her knees to look him in the eyes. _What brilliant red eyes he has,_ she noticed, taken aback by their color for a moment. Lyn walked to stand next to her friend, looking down at the boy.

"You and your friends... are you mercenaries?" he asked.

"And if we are?" Lyn asked.

"I need your help!"

"Milady Lyndis," Kent warned, "you mustn't let your guard down. Not even for a child."

"I know," she sighed. She looked back to the boy, her eyes full of regret. "I'm sorry, but we're in a hurry. Is there someone else you can ask?"

"There's not time!" he cried, his face falling. "Ninian's been... It's my sister! Some men kidnapped her and took her away!"

"I'm sorry, but-"

"Your sister?" Sain's shocked and furious question interrupted Adelessa's apology. "Did you say your sister was kidnapped?"

"_Sain_…"

"That's right!" the boy said, swinging to Sain hopefully. "She was taken by a bunch of thugs. I don't know what I'll do without her."

"Milady Lyndis, we _must_ help him!" Sain pleaded.

"Nonsense," Kent snapped. "We don't have time – if the marquess is as ill as we've heard, we have to keep moving!" He started for the door, only to be stopped by Adelessa's arm on his shoulder. He frowned at her, only to look where the young woman's gaze rested on Lyn.

"Kent, I..." Lyn looked up and Adelessa knew her answer from the look on her friend's face. "I want to help him."

"Milady?"

"I'm worried about my grandfather, of course," she continued, pressing forward. "But this – I can't stand by and let a girl be kidnapped!"

"I see," the knight sighed; even Sain's normal celebration was muted in the face of Kent's sudden worry. The boy was the only one who looked excited at Lyn's decision.

"I'm sorry," Lyn said.

"I'm your loyal retainer," Kent told her, staring her in the eyes. "You owe me no apologies. If this is what you need to do, I have no reason to protest. I will follow you, no matter where that may lead."

Sain grinned and elbowed Adelessa in the side. "Heh – such a noble speech!" he stage-whispered, causing Kent to scowl at him. "Ever the true knight, that one! Ah, well – you're in luck, laddie!" Sain clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Could you lead us to the people who took her?" Adelessa asked him, smiling widely in response to his own ecstatic grin. "And could we get your name?"

"Nils, miss," he chirped. "But the men... they're really tough, so be careful."

"Leave them to us." Lyn's confident smile bolstered Adelessa's nerve. "We're pretty tough ourselves. Right, Aydie?"

"That's right," Adelessa said, standing and brushing off her knees. "Lead on, Nils – we'll follow you."

The group had only gathered on the road – Adelessa hadn't even bothered to hop up on her horse – when Nils shrank back and hid behind the tactician-in-training. She glanced up to see a mean-looking man skulking directly toward her. Stepping more fully in front of the boy, Adelessa placed herself in the middle of his path to protect the quivering boy who clutched so desperately to the back of her over-tunic. Chuckling, the man stalked close to them; Adelessa found she disliked his smile as much as the rest of his demeanor. "Found him," he sneered; Nils shook harder but worked up the courage to peer out from behind the young woman. "C'mon, it's back to Nergal with you. Quiet now."

"No!" he cried, red eyes as defiant as his yell. "Let Ninian go!"

"Hah!" The man barked out a laugh. "We ain't supposed to kill you, but we sure can rough you up – and he never said nothing about anyone else!" He lunged at Adelessa with a sword, only to be blocked by Lyn. Snarling, he demanded, "Who do you think you are?"

"Let the boy's sister go," Lyn ordered, flicking his sword away from Adelessa and stepping in front of her. Sain and Kent quickly moved to each side of her; their appearance made the man step backward.

"So you want to help the kid, huh? What a shame," he simpered. "You're gonna die for something that don't concern you."

"You think so, do you?" Lyn asked archly. "Do we look weak to you? I think you're in for a surprise!"

"Stupid girl – you'll regret those words," he promised, drawing back and running away from the group. Adelessa had almost let out a sigh of relief when he let out a yell. "Take 'em down, boys!" Townspeople screamed when several men drew their swords, advancing from the fearful crowds to threaten the group. Florina shrieked and took to the air when one got too close, soaring out of the area.

Adelessa all but threw Nils up onto Lyn's horse; the plainswoman vaulted up after him and took the reins. "Get out of the town!" she cried to the group, offering Serra a hand up to sit behind her. Adelessa checked briefly to make sure that everyone was making tracks for the nearest exit before spurring her mare forward, following Lyn. She drew her horse sharply to the right and nearly unseated Serra when she had to avoid trampling over a civilian shoved in her way. _They almost act more like assassins than mercenaries!_ she thought frantically, praying that they'd make it to the exit before the mercenaries did. She saw Lyn shoot under the arch that marked the entrance to the village, Sain and Kent passing through just after her. Adelessa joined them, sliding off her horse and looking around. A river flowed to the south and she could see several houses along the road. _We'll need to warn them about the fighting,_ she thought, noting distractedly that everyone in the group was present.

"What's wrong?" Lyn asked when Adelssa hissed in dismay.

"There's at least one shaman over there – see him?" Lyn followed her gaze; Adelessa stared at the edge of a copse of trees where the practitioner of dark magic was standing. Her eyes swept along their surroundings, calculating the best path for escape, when Nils' voice caught her attention.

"They have Ninian in the fortress to the southwest," he said, sliding off of Lyn's horse. "At least, that's where I saw them heading." Adelessa frowned; the majority of their enemies laid in wait along that path.

"We'll have to be careful," she started when a light touch on her shoulder stopped her. Expecting it to be either Lyn or one of the knights getting her attention, the tactician-in-training found herself blinking at a pleasant-faced blonde man. He wore plain white and blue robes and stared back at her with calm blue eyes.

"Please forgive me," he said. "I never meant to startle you."

"Oh, no, it's fine," Adelessa said. "Your robes look like religious vestiary. Are you an Elimine bishop?"

"Yes… well, no. I'm an acolyte; an Elimine monk, to be specific. My name's Lucius."

"Do you have business with us?" Lyn asked.

"I was at an inn when this child came seeking help," Lucius explained, his mouth tucking down into a slight frown. "The innkeeper was afraid to get involved. He was… unpleasant."

"I wasn't afraid of him!" Nils said. "I'm used to being treated that way."

"That's awful," she murmured; Adelessa couldn't help but feel sorry for him, despite the stubbornness on the boy's face.

"May I please lend you my services?" Lucius asked. "I wish to help the boy – even if only a little."

"Of course," Lyn replied.

"Thank you very much. The blessings of Saint Elimine be upon you. You are…?"

"I'm Lyn – this is Aydie, our tactician," Lyn said; she continued to introduce the monk to the group, but Adelessa stopped paying attention to the introductions. _I have to find a good way to get to that fortress,_ she thought, chewing on the inside of her lip absently.

"Lucius," she asked, looking over at the monk, "you can use light magic, correct? Could you neutralize the shaman over there? We can't get through if he stays there."

"I can use magic. I will clear your path," he acknowledged. Striding forward, he pulled a tome from within a pocket in his outer set of robes. Adelessa could just barely hear him intoning a psalm or prayer of some sort. The shaman turned and launched a ball of inky black magic; Lucius raised a faintly-glowing hand and stopped it before it even reached him. Snapping out his other hand caused lances of light to fly from his palm. He turned back to Adelessa when the light faded, the shaman collapsing. She found herself touched by how he stopped to murmur a prayer for the shaman before he started back toward the group.

"I can help, too!" Nils said, looking between Lyn and Adelessa.

"Can you fight?" Lyn asked, surprised by this revelation.

"No…" he said slowly, "but I'm a bard, and bards are useful to have around!"

"A bard?" she asked. "Do you mean that you're a minstrel? This is no place for a song!"

"C'mon," he wheedled, "trust me! I'm all yours, Aydie. Let me play for Lucius!"

"Go ahead, Nils," Adelessa said, willing to indulge him. She returned her attention to their path, plotting the route that would be the fastest, when she felt the tingle of magic. Dumbstruck, she listened as Nils played a flute for Lucius; there was more than just sound in his music. Lucius straightened, visibly refreshed, as Nils finished his quick little tune with a trill.

"What do you think?" he asked Lucius, beaming up at the monk.

"I feel much better," the monk told him. "Thank you."

"That was lovely," Lyn added. "Invigorating, even. You ought to play for me sometime – I could use the boost!" Nils brightened at that, obviously bolstered by Lyn's praise.

"All right, we should get going now that the shaman is out of our way," Adelessa said. "From what I can see, we can get across the bridge to the south before we run into any more enemies; there's a house on the way to the bridge that we should visit, if only to warn them about the fighting." She started walking back to where the rest of the group was getting ready for the battle; most of them hadn't fully prepared themselves before the mad dash out of the town. "As soon as everyone is ready, we'll be heading south to cross the river."Adelessa knew that Wil, Dorcas, Erk, and Serra would be ready; she wasn't very surprised to see that Matthew was ready. Once Kent, Sain, Rath, and Florina had finished arming themselves, Adelessa continued with, "The fortress to the southwest doesn't look that fortified, but I'd be willing to bet that they'll have plenty of men there. There aren't too many mercenaries along our path, but they're in very good places to stop us. We'll have to fight through them in order to get to the fortress. If you see a shaman, let me or Lucius know – it's near impossible to defend against magic unless you use it yourself, so I don't want any of you getting caught by one of them."

"What about what happens once we enter the fortress? Do we have a plan for that?" Kent asked.

Adelessa took a deep breath. "Not entirely. Not yet. I'm working on that – I'll have one by the time we get there and I've a better idea what sort of numbers we will be facing in there." Seeing that no one else had any questions, she nodded. "There's no time to waste – we need to save Nils' sister. Let's go!" Adelessa waited a moment to let Florina take to the air; the pegasus knight hovered over the group as they started out, the Kent and Sain leading the group.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Adelessa raised her hand to knock on the door of the house near the bridge. The trip had been short and uneventful; the most interesting thing that had happened was when Serra and Lucius chatted with each other to see if they had any mutual acquaintances in the Church of Elimine. Her knuckles rapped sharply against the door. A few moments later it opened, a woman standing in the doorway. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"I just swung by to warn you – there's going to be some fighting out here. You should stay inside," Adelessa said. The woman gasped in a breath when she saw Nils over Adelessa's shoulder.

"You're with- That's quite a group you've gotten yourself involved in," she said, withdrawing and half-closing the door. "You do know you're facing the Black Fang, right? Anyone they target winds up…. Well, you know. No one escapes the Fang! That's what they say, anyway. You and those odd children? I'd say you're finished. Not that I'll have any part of it. Course not!" Adelessa stared as the door slammed in her face, completely stunned by the reaction. _Black Fang?_ she wondered, looking over at Nils. _As if we aren't in enough trouble. Well, we'll just have to see what happens once we find his sister._

"I see a shaman!" Florina cried, catching her attention. Adelessa dashed off of the porch of the house and returned to the group, looking along the path. Sure enough – she saw him at the end of the bridge.

"All right – Lucius, do you feel up to fighting him?" Adelessa asked.

"I do – would you have me attack him now?"

"Yes, please," she replied. "But Florina, Kent, Sain – be ready once he does. I thought I saw some regular mercenaries past him. I'd like you to take care of them; we'll pass you and keep pushing for the fortress. Understood?" Adelessa followed shortly after Lucius, stopping at the start of the bridge. The shaman didn't even have the chance to try launching an attack at the monk; he struck first, lances of light flying from his outstretched hand. Kent, Sain, and Florina charged past her to engage the swordsmen past the bridge. Sain and Kent crashed into them, but it was Florina who drew first blood; she scored a lucky strike as her pegasus dove at a man and dropped him with one strike of her lance. Sain shrugged off a light blow to his shoulder and retaliated with a crippling strike to the man's upper legs.

And then she was past that clump of fighting, leading the rest of the group to the fortress that stood in plain sight. Dorcas quickly outstripped her pace, his longer legs letting him pass her despite the added burden of the heavy axe. She could hear Nils playing from behind her; even without feeling the magical effects of his music she felt invigorated. Matthew ghosted along behind her; she only knew he was there because he had bumped into Serra on the bridge and she was still scolding him for that most grievous error. Erk's heavy sigh at his employer's antics made Adelessa chuckle despite the mounting tension. Lyn and Rath brought up the end of the group, watching for sudden attacks.

Those two quickly dealt with a few men loitering in front of the fortress; between the skills the Sacaeans possessed and the fact that the Black Fang members obviously weren't prepared for them, it was easy for Lyn and Rath to pick them off. Adelessa tried the door of the fortress, hissing with dismay when she found it locked.

"Here, I'll-" Matthew started.

"Dorcas!" she called. "Get this door down!"

Matthew quickly got out of the fighter's way and glared at Adelessa. "I could've opened the doors," he said pointedly.

"We need speed, not subtlety," Adelessa replied, watching Dorcas take a mighty swing at the door. She was pleasantly surprised to see the wood splinter and give with even the first strike; the second had the door completely off its hinges. "Inside!" she ordered, following right after Dorcas and Erk.

"Who are you supposed to be?" snarled the man who had first tried to snag Nils in the town. "Playing the heroes in some foolish knightly romance?" He drew his sword, pointing it at Adelessa. "You may think you're helping the children, but you're only rushing to your doom!" He ducked and narrowly avoided an arrow that Rath fired. He rolled out of the way of Dorcas' axe, but fell prey to a spurt of flame that jumped from Erk's fingers. Only singed, the man kept pushing forward until he crossed swords with Lyn.

"Where is she?" she demanded, her arms shaking to hold back the blade of the stronger man. When all she got was a sneer in response, Lyn's face set into a grim and determined expression. She quickly stepped to the side, jerking the Mani Katti out from underneath his blade. Metal sang as several blows were exchanged, the two moving too quickly for any of the other fighters to try to land a hit. Blood splashed on the floor; Adelessa cried out when she saw that Lyn had been cut, her bare left arm dripping from a cut. Despite the injury – or perhaps because of it – the swordswoman pressed her attack, making the Black Fang member roll back on his heels and block defensively. His face contorted when he fumbled one block and Lyn's katana sunk deep into his chest, blood running from his lips.

"You were only… striking at air," he gasped, grinning in dark victory. "You are… too late! The girl is already-" His words cut off with a terrible gurgle as he died. Lyn jerked her sword out of his chest, her eyes stormy.

"It looks like this place is deserted," Erk said. "Someone would have come running; it wasn't hard to hear the fight."

"They must all have left to fight us outside!" said Lyn, agitated. She settled down a bit more when Serra scolded her for moving while she was trying to heal her, but her eyes still blazed.

_No, that doesn't seem right,_ Adelessa thought. "Search for Ninian." The group split up and searched the fortress. _I hope they've had more success with finding her than I have,_ she thought, fearing that they were too late.

"Nils!" Lyn said when she saw the boy return to the main room; he was the last to return from searching. "Where's your sister?"

"Ninian… she's not here," he said, tears welling up in his eyes and threatening to spill onto his cheeks. "Why? Where could she be?" He balled up his fists and used them to wipe away the tears. Adelessa knelt next to him, giving him a scrap of cloth to wipe them with instead.

"My lady Lyndis!" The group looked up when Kent burst into the room. "A villager spotted a group of men riding south."

"We think… The boy's dear sister – they must have her!" Sain added from behind his fellow knight.

"Come!" Lyn said to Nils. "We must give chase!"

"But… but…." Nils' eyes filled with tears again as a look of utter despair crossed his face. "We won't make it! What if they've already…."

"Pardon me," came a voice from behind the knights. Kent and Sain both turned and then crisply stepped out of the way. Adelessa wondered what would make even the normally casual Sain adopt such formality. When she saw the young man in the entrance, she understood immediately. "Are you looking for this girl here?" He was garbed in fine armor that gleamed, as bright as the rich cape that flowed behind him and his well-kept red hair. A noble, regal air surrounded him, enhanced by his demeanor and his handsome face. He was holding a limp girl in his arms; her hair was the same color as Nils', though significantly longer, and had the same pale skin.

"Ninian!" the boy cried, running over to his sister. He knelt next to her when the armored man set her down, shaking her shoulder. "Ninian!"

"She'll be fine," the red-haired man said, resting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "She's just lost consciousness."

"Who are you?" Lyn asked, her hand on the Mani Katti again; Adelessa couldn't blame her for being suspicious when he appeared out of nowhere with the person they were seeking.

"I'm Eliwood, of Pherae," he replied, standing to face her. "My father is the marquess." When Lyn relaxed, he said, "She was with a band of ruffians. She seemed upset and looked like she was in need of some help. Was I wrong to rescue her from them?"

"No – actually, you saved her life," Adelessa told him. "Thank you."

"May I ask who you are?"

"This is Aydie, our tactician. My name is Lyn. I'm from Sacae. I'm Marquess Caelin's granddaughter."

Eliwood blinked at her. "Marquess Caelin?" he asked. "Is that true?" Lyn nodded and started into a tale of her travels since leaving her ger on the plains; Adelessa excused herself shortly after she started to check on Ninian.

"She's just sleeping," Nils said when the brunette next to the siblings. "I was so scared when Eliwood carried her in. I thought she was…."

"It's alright now, Nils," Adelessa said, smiling. "We got her back. That's all that matters, right?" The two sat in silence for a long moment; Adelessa stood when she heard Lyn approaching the end of their tale.

"And that's my story," she finished. "It's not an easy tale to believe, I know…"

"No. I do believe you," Eliwood said. At Lyn's obvious surprise, he admitted, "At first glance, I just saw a daughter of the plainspeople. Now I can see it, though. You have your grandfather's eyes."

"Do you know my grandfather?" Lyn asked, hope bright in her voice. Adelessa could see traces of a blush on her cheeks, flattered by his comment on her eyes.

"The marquess, Lord Hausen, is a good friend of my father. It's been said that the people of Sacae don't tell lies. It's true, isn't it?"

"Yes… thank you. I would not have expected a Lycian noble to be so courteous to a Sacaean nomad," she confessed; Eliwood looked over at Adelessa when she murmured under her breath.

"We met Marquess Araphen," Adelessa explained shortly at his questioning glance. "He refused help he'd promised to give us."

Eliwood frowned deeply, obviously disturbed by the marquess' actions. "You seem to be in trouble. Is there anything that I can do to help you?"

"Thank you for the offer," Lyn said. "This is my problem, though, and I should deal with it. So far it's only caused trouble for those who help."

"I see," he said. Adelessa was glad to see that he didn't seem to be offended by Lyn's refusal of his help. "I'll be in the area for a few more days. If you need anything, please let me know."

"Eliwood… thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied warmly, nodding his head. "If you don't mind, I have some business to which I must attend. I look forward to meeting you again." Eliwood left the room, letting Kent and Sain return.

The noise of so much armor clattering must have been enough to wake up the sleeping girl; she was blinking awake slowly. Adelessa made her way over, tucking her legs under her a slight distance away. "Ninian!" Nils cried as a pair of matching ruby-colored eyes focused on him. "Are you awake?"

"Nils? Is it really you?" A beautiful smile graced Ninian's face and she reached up to give her brother a tight hug. "Oh, you're safe!"

"Uh-huh – these people helped me," he said, drawing back just far enough to motion at the people in the room.

"Who are they?" she asked, her voice almost fearful. Her dark red eyes took in the people in the room, settling finally on Adelessa.

"I'm Aydie," she said gently. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Milady Aydie… thank you." Adelessa was taken aback by Ninian adding the title to her name. "I'm called Ninian. My brother, Nils, and I are traveling performers."

"Both of you?" she asked. "I know that your brother is a musician. How about you, Ninian?"

"I…" The girl hesitated before she answered. "I dance."

"What?" Adelessa didn't have time to look over and warn Sain off before he spoke. "Oh, my – you're a dancer!"

"_Sain_. Later, _please_." Lyn's glare silenced him quickly and had him shuffling away from the girl.

"A dancer?" Lyn asked. "Your clothes don't look like those of a dancer." Adelessa had to agree; normally dancers wore less clothing that was more gauze than fabric. Ninian wore a far more modest outfit and seemed too demure and innocent to dance that way.

"Ninian dances to honor life," Nils explained. "It's special… sacred."

"A sacred dance?" Lyn asked. "What does that mean?"

"I… the dance I perform when we travel is just a normal dance. My other dance, though…" She trailed off, rubbing her ankle. Adelessa could see that it was swollen. "When they caught me, I twisted my ankle. I cannot dance to aid you – I'm sorry."

"Please don't worry. We're just happy to see that you're out of harm's way," Lyn told her.

"Thank you," she said, a slight smile hiding the worry on her face.

"But I am concerned about your leg. You can't travel on it…" Adelessa murmured, frowning. _We can't just leave them here. They'll only be caught again._

"I have an idea," Nils said. "Would it be too much to ask if we could travel with you?"

"You can't! It's too dangerous for a couple of children to come with us," Lyn protested. "We're being hunted. We never know when we're going to be attacked."

"We wouldn't slow you down. We might even be able to help you. Right, Ninian?"

The girl nodded. "Yes. We might be able to repay our debt using our… special talents."

"Special talents?" Adeless asked.

"When something poses a threat to us, we can sense its approach," Ninian explained.

"Truly?" Lyn asked. "That's amazing!"

"We can feel it coming, but we can't do anything to stop it," Nils said. He brightened and added, "You're warriors, though, so you don't have to worry about that."

"What do you think, Kent?" Lyn asked.

"I think leaving them here would worry you more than having them come with us."

"Sain? Oh, never mind," she said, waving off his speech before he could even start. "I know what your answer is. Aydie?"

"I think they should come with us," Adelessa answered.

"Do you really want to travel with us?" Lyn asked them.

"Of course!" Nils chirped.

"You have our gratitude, milady," Ninian said, bowing her head. She blinked at a delicate silver chain around her neck, running her hand along it. Her eyes widened in horrified loss. "Oh…."

"What's wrong, Ninian?" Nils asked.

"I've lost my ring," she replied, her eyebrows drawn together with obvious distress.

"Your ring?" Adelessa asked.

"Not Ninis' Grace?" Nils gasped, looking just as distraught as his sister.

"The very one."

"They stole it? Those curs!"

"Was it valuable?" Lyn asked tentatively.

"It was a keepsake from our departed mother," Ninian said, her shoulders slumped with sorrow.

"It was blessed by the spirit of Ninis – there's no other ring like it in the world," Nils added. "They must have taken it when they kidnapped you, Ninian. I guess we can't get it back now." He hugged his sister, both of them falling silent.

Adelessa blinked when Lyn gently grabbed her arm and steered her out of earshot of anyone else in the room. "You heard all of that – what do you think?" she asked, her voice hushed. "I want to retrieve Ninian's ring for her. But if Nils is right, the men who took it might prove to be too strong for us. What should we do?"

Thinking for a long moment, Adelessa said, "We should help them. We're strong enough, I believe. And that was important to them."

"That's great – I was hoping you'd say that, Aydie. Kent, Sain!" she said, raising her voice so they could hear her. "Those men were headed south. We're going to follow them!" Adelessa knew that it was worth it when she saw the joy that lit up both of the siblings' faces when they heard that.

"On your word, milady!" Sain said, heading out the door to gather everyone to get back on the road.

"There's no turning back now," Lyn declared. "Let's ride!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Alright! Another chapter down! :3 A huge thank-you to my loyal reviewers: **AquaticSilver **(seriously, you rock my freaking socks and your conversations are awesome), **MilleniaMaster **(who is an inspiration to me to keep working), **patattack**, **Solyeuse****,** and **Tom-Ato****13** (which, really, I'm so geeked that you think it's flawless). All of you are super-appreciated and I keep up the hard work for you guys!

I'm also proud to announce that I'm right on track for my NaNoWriMo novel and plan to keep updates steady for this fic until December when I have time to write more of it! Now, then, for the weekend which will consist of writing and Minecraft - and, if I make time, to draw a lovely lady tactician-in-training.

Until next week! - Noxy


	9. The Black Shadow

The Black Shadow

Several hours of hard riding to the southwest found the group arriving at an abandoned castle surrounded by a thick forest. Adelessa knew this one wasn't empty: she could see shadows moving across the light that filtered out of the windows. There didn't seem to be any guards posted outside, but she knew that didn't really make a difference. For all she knew, they knew that they were coming and were setting a trap. _Though sometimes the best choice is to spring the trap when you're aware of it,_ she thought, chewing on the inside of her lip. "They're in here," she said finally.

"Milady, are you really going to go in there to get the ring back?" Nils asked Lyn. Adelessa couldn't see him – the group was arrayed behind her – but she could tell from the tone of his voice that he was concerned now that they were actually at the fortress.

"Yes, we are," Lyn replied firmly.

"But this is their stronghold!" Nils protested, the worry in his voice even more prominent. Adelessa turned when he spoke to her. "They're sure to be strong – and here they'll be even harder for you to fight!" She could see that he was fighting with himself; on the one hand, she knew that the ring was terribly important to the two siblings. On the other, she knew he'd never want for anyone to get hurt retrieving it for them.

Ninian seemed to be of the same state of mind. "Please forget about the ring. It's okay…."

"Aydie's agreed to attempt this," Lyn told them. "If not for that, I wouldn't be here, ready to try. She believes we can do this – I'm sure that she thought about this a great deal before deciding." She looked over at Adelessa and gave her a smile when the brunette nodded sharply. "With Aydie guiding us in the fight, I'm sure we can win."

"We'll get your ring back, Ninian," Adelessa said, "and I'll make sure everyone comes back safely. Sain, Kent – I'd like you to ride around the fortress. Check to see what kind of numbers we'll need to fight against, but don't let them see you. Everyone else stay here until we return."

"We?" Lyn asked. "You aren't going with them, are you?"

"Not directly," she hedged. "I want to see if I can get closer than them. I might be able to get more information that way."

"That's not a bad idea," Matthew piped up, cutting off Lyn's protest. "You going alone _is_ a bad idea, though – take me along with you." He leaned forward and grinned at her. "It never hurts to have an extra set of ears. Besides, I come in handy."

Adelessa had her misgivings for a second; what if he was just doing this to get more information about her or other such mischief? She quickly shook those thoughts away and smiled back at him. "I'd be glad to have you with me," she told him. "Just in case something goes wrong, Elimine forbid." Tugging her over-tunic tighter around herself to ward off the night cold, Adelessa started forward with Matthew on her heels. She watched as the two cavaliers rode off and was glad when she saw that they were keeping a fair distance from the walls of the fortress. Satisfied that they would be more than able to take care of themselves, Adelessa returned her full concentration to the task she'd set for herself.

She and Matthew snuck across the open field, moving quickly and keeping low to the ground. They darted into the woods and waited there for several breaths, watching to see if anyone had spotted them and to plot a new course. As soon as they were sure no one had seen them, the two started forward again. Adelessa wound around the trees, only knowing that Matthew was behind her when she glanced over her shoulder once to see where he was. _He's_ very _good at this,_ she thought, carefully stepping over a fallen branch. She stopped for a moment when they neared the rear wall of the fortress, looking up at a window. From where she stood, Adelessa could just barely hear voices. Crouching, she all but crawled underneath the ledge; Matthew joined her a second later.

"So the brother escaped and the sister was rescued by a band of strangers. Do I understand you?" _A woman's voice – chilling. She's not pleased with whomever she's speaking._

A man's voice fumbled to explain. "Yes – they ambushed us, and-"

"Hold your excuses. The end is all that matters."

"Yes, ma'am." There was a long, heavy pause; Adelessa almost considered leaving – her leg was in an uncomfortable position and her shin was starting to burn because of it – when the woman spoke again.

"And your plan for recovering the siblings is…?"

"We've word that the entire group is headed this way, with the brats in tow." Her mouth drew down in a grim frown; she was afraid that in their rush to catch up to the Black Fang their presence would be noted. It was likely that she would be walking the whole group into a trap.

"They're coming here?" Surprise laced the woman's tone. "Why would they do that?"

Fabric rustled faintly. "They may well be after this ring. It's a rare piece. We took it from the girl; it was a stroke of luck that we did, especially if it brings them to us now. I'll grab the whole lot of 'em with _this_ to bait the trap."

"I see… Very well, I'll give you another chance," she granted, sounding slightly less irate. "I've business elsewhere, but I shall return once it's finished. You have until sunrise tomorrow. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"If you do not have the children when I return, my hand will deal you the Fang's punishment," she promised. "Remember that. Bear it closely in your mind." Sharp footsteps clacked away, growing fainter over time. The man remained silent, though the dull sound of a body sinking into a chair sounded loudly enough that Adelessa could hear it from outside. She looked at Matthew and nodded at the forest; slinking back into it, they began to return to where the group was waiting.

"They know we're coming," she announced when she returned, "but they don't know we're already here. If we strike soon, we may yet catch them off their guard. They haven't yet had the time to set an ambush for us."

"Milady Lyndis!" Sain's arrival – with Kent riding shortly behind him – stopped Adelessa before she could begin to quell any concerns. "Aydie! There are more men inside than we thought."

"This is their stronghold," Adelessa said. "But we might be able to take advantage of the layout. Kent, while you were riding, did you see inside the castle itself?"

"Through windows?" he asked, puzzled. "A little."

"How much room was there in the hallway?"

"Ah," he said, his face lighting up in understanding. "They were narrow – barely enough room to fit more than one person without crowding him."

"We'll use that to our advantage," Adelessa said, now certain that she could deliver a victory. "If we draw the enemy through there, we can engage them in small numbers and remain relatively safe. If time is a concern – and that's only if it starts to get close to morning – we can always rush them. They've reinforcements that will arrive at dawn. What will work best is if we charge in and take up positions in those hallways; from there, we can press forward. I'd like Lyn, Kent, and Sain to be our front-line fighters. Erk, Rath, and Wil, I'm counting on your help to support those three. Florina, Lucius, and Dorcas will stay at the rear of the group to guard against any attacks from behind; the rest of us will try to stay out of combat and provide support as necessary." Seeing the slow nods of the group, she smiled. "If we do this, we'll have no problem retrieving Ninian's ring. Before we head out, though," she added, looking over at Nils and Ninian, "I want you two to hide somewhere. I don't want you anywhere near this fight."

"But…" Nils started.

"Nils, they want to get you – if we can keep you hidden, we'll have a better chance of success and there's less danger to you," Adelessa told him. "Please – I know you want to help, but you'd be more helpful this time if you remained here with your sister in the woods." He nodded reluctantly and led Ninian away, waving slightly to the group as they ducked into a copse of trees. Satisfied with this, Adelessa started for their destination.

_Lyn and Rath make a good team,_ Adelessa thought as the groups formed on their way to the castle. Sain had teamed up with Wil, the two having become fast friends due to their tendency to talk, and Kent and Erk were quietly discussing their plan to handle whatever enemies came down their hall. _And the two other pairs work well together. I'll have to remember that for the next time I need to split up the group for a fight._

"Don't you ever wonder if you're too honest?" Matthew murmured. Adelessa looked over at him, more confused than startled by his sudden question. "Usually a person wouldn't want to tell his troops that they're going to be walking into a trap. Demoralizing and all that," he said; Adelessa knew those keen eyes were taking careful measure of her reaction and answer.

"I don't believe that hiding that fact would help at all," she explained. "Letting them know that I have a plan to defeat a possible ambush does more good than keeping quiet." When he kept looking at her, she sighed and added, "I'd rather they know what they're getting into." Matthew seemed to be satisfied with that answer and slowed to fall behind her as she walked. She looked to her right at Lyn.

"Are you ready?" the swordswoman asked.

"On your mark," she replied. Lyn nodded and went to Sain and Kent; each drew their weapons. There was time for Adelessa to take a breath before they threw open the door. She could see the complete shock on the faces of several men inside before Rath, Erk, and Wil passed into her line of sight.

"Time to go!" Matthew said. He surged forward, past Adelessa, and through the doorway.

When she followed him through, she saw that her plan was working well already. The three pairs had split up, each blocking a hallway to keep the enemies stymied. To her left, Sain stabbed his lance around a soldier's. Wil fired off an arrow, but it flew wide of its target. Before her, Kent blocked a hallway between a solid wall and a columned section of a courtyard open to the sky. Erk assisted him, lobbing fireballs down the hallway at a man wielding an axe and a mercenary. She couldn't see Lyn in the far hallway, but from the way Rath's bow sang she knew that they were fighting fiercely.

While she was judging the position of where they were compared to where she'd overhead the conversation about the ring, Adelessa's eye caught on a weak-looking wall. _If we could get through that, we might be able to take a shortcut and get to the ring faster!_ "Dorcas," she ordered, "could you take down that wall? A few good hits should do it." The man nodded and lumbered over to it, skirting around Sain's dwindling fight; the knight had sorely wounded the man against whom he was fighting. There were several places in the already dented and dinged armor where his lance had pierced through to flesh beneath. The man could hardly hold his weapon, but still he tried to attack Sain, leaving no chance to offer him the opportunity to surrender. Florina flocked to his side to add her lance to his in order to finish the fight.

"Augh!" Kent's shout of pain snapped her around and dismay replaced any feeling of success in her plan. An arrow sprouted from his leg; he pulled it out but couldn't even take the moment to find where it had come from; his sword clashed with the axe that would have lopped off his arm. His horse clattered back several steps to try to give him more room to maneuver – luckily for him, that let him avoid another arrow that flew through the space where his throat used to be.

Adelessa could see where it was coming from with that shot: there was an archer running up stairs tucked unobtrusively in its far corner. "Erk!" she yelled. The mage launched another fireball to drive back Kent's opponent before he glanced at her. "In the courtyard – take out the archer in there!"

The crashing of the wall tumbling down under the force of Dorcas' blows demanded her attention. She watched as it crumbled, bricks crashing down to the ground; the fighter only just managed to avoid one particularly large chunk. She arrived at the gap just after Matthew did and looked inside, only to stare at an archer who had an arrow already nocked on its bow on the other side of the room. She gasped in a breath and scrambled back, crashing into Matthew. His angry protest was cut off when the arrow zipped past and just barely missed her. Dorcas offered the brunette a hand up off the ground – while Matthew had kept his feet, she hadn't been as lucky.

"He'll be waiting for us if we run in there again," she said once she was back on her feet. "Lucius, can you use your light magic to blind him?"

"I can," he said slowly, "but it will only work for a few seconds."

"We can make that work – Matthew, do you think you could take care of that archer if Lucius could give you that time?"

"That's more than enough," he replied, grinning wickedly.

Adelessa wasn't sure what to say in response to that. Instead, she simply nodded to the monk. He stepped around the group but just out of the way of the archer. Standing next to him, Adelessa felt magic gathering around him just before it sparked forward in bright streams. They flashed in the eyes of the archer and he threw up an arm across his face. Matthew was in the room before the light faded, circling around the man. His knife flashing in his hand, he lunged forward and drove it deep into the archer's back. Adelessa entered the room in time to hear the man sigh out a whimper as he fell to the ground and struggled against the pain she felt at knowing it was her order that killed him. _He may be the enemy,_ she thought mournfully, _but he's still human._

She turned her face away and looked at where Matthew was tinkering with a chest. Opening her mouth to ask if he really needed to be swindling treasure now, she stopped and thought better of it. Instead, Adelessa went to the door on the far end of the room – the side they needed to get to where she'd overheard the conversation. She was just about to turn the handle when it flew open. Once again, she found herself staring into the face of another person, this one a _very_ surprised thief. One look at her and he dashed away; she supposed that it was to avoid a fight with the very capable group that was causing havoc.

"That's why I'm taking care of the chest." Adelessa closed the door and looked over her shoulder when Matthew spoke; he was still fiddling his picks in the lock on the chest. He looked up, apparently sensing her gaze. "I figured if they had half a brain, they'd want to retrieve whatever they have stored. If they're our enemies, it'd be silly to let them get supplied." Grinning, Matthew tossed her a pouch. She caught it and gasped when she saw the gold glittering within. "See? Better us than them, that's what I say!"

"You just like swindling people," Serra accused. She sniffed when Matthew didn't deny it.

"Well, if we're ready to go…" Adelessa said, looking between the people in the group. "We should hurry." She opened the door and looked out into the hall; the sound of metal clashing against metal clattered down the hall, but she didn't see any of the fighters. An open door ahead let light stream into a dark hallway, illuminating dusty, worn carpet and stone walls. Adelessa had just left their current room when Lyn turned the corner and saw them; she ran over but refrained from greeting them when Adelessa motioned for quiet.

"I believe the man with the ring is in that room up there," she murmured when the swordswoman reached her side. "Would you be willing to lead the charge in?"

"Certainly," Lyn replied, her sword still in her hand; she hadn't sheathed it yet. "Shall we?"

"If you're ready," Adelessa said; Lyn started down the hall before she even finished the last word. The group quietly followed with Dorcas and Rath just before Adelessa to better help Lyn.

When Lyn stepped into the light from the door, Adelessa heard the same voice demand, "How- This can't be- They should be dead!" He bellowed loudly enough that Adelessa doubted that anyone couldn't hear him. "Everyone! Get in here and finish them! This is our final chance!" He drew his own sword as Lyn darted forward, clashing her blade against his.

"Dorcas, Rath – watch our backs!" Adelessa ordered. "Stay at the end of the hall and repel anyone coming this way. Lucius, watch the other end just in case." She was glad that she had the first two guarding several seconds later: a soldier came around the corner and attacked Dorcas. She looked away when the fighter easily swatted him away with his axe and cautiously entered the room behind Matthew.

"I mustn't fail – I cannot fail," the man said, straining to push Lyn down to where he could strike her without fear of counterattack. "The consequences are too-" He grunted when Lyn slipped out from under his sword, staggering forward. She slashed at him, but a swift parry forced her to dance back. Adelessa watched, transfixed, as their swords flashed in the light of the lamp on the desk: until now, Lyn had mostly been fighting brutes that relied on their strength to overwhelm their opponents. Here she had an enemy who balanced skill in the mix; he wasn't as strong, but he was keeping up with her better than most. His determined growl was of no consequence when Lyn flourished her blade right around the man's, disarmed him, and knocked him off his feet with a kick. He sprawled on the ground and froze when the tip of her sword rested on his throat.

"Give us the ring!" Lyn demanded. "And promise us – you must promise to leave these two children alone. If you do, I'll spare your life." Adelessa frowned and studied the man closer; there was something wrong with the resigned set of his face and how he was clenching his teeth. It occurred to her far too late to stop him.

"Failure… means death," he croaked.

"No!" she cried as he bit down on something in his mouth, turning her face away as he suffered the last motions of life. She was only slightly aware of the fact that Matthew had headed straight for the desk. His ruffling through papers was of no consequence to her at that moment, though his callous disregard for the end of the man's life.

"What? Poison?" Lyn asked, shocked and recoiling away from the dead man. "He took his own life?"

"These are no common bandits we're dealing with," Adelessa said grimly, concerned more now than she had been before at and for the siblings traveling with them. "This man was trained by a well-organized group."

"What do they want with Nils and Ninian?" Lyn asked. Adelessa winced at the timing of that question; Kent had just led in the two from where they had been hiding. Both the children's faces fell.

"Nils, Ninian," Adelessa soothed, "everything's going to be fine. As long as you're with us, you'll be safe."

"But…" Nils started, his eyes sad and worried.

"You see that we won, right?" Lyn asked. "With Aydie's planning and my sword, you don't need to worry. If we all work together, there's nothing we can't overcome. I don't care who comes after you – I'll not let you be taken!"

"_We_ will not let you be taken," Adelessa corrected. "On our honor."

"Milady…" Ninian said, looking overwhelmed.

Adelessa's eyes caught on a shine from the desk that Matthew was going through. She reached over and picked up an intricately-detailed ring, its coppery shimmer gleaming in the light. "This is yours, correct?" she asked, handing it to Ninian. "Ninis' Grace – that lout had it."

"Milady Lyndis, Aydie – thank you so much!" Nils said, gazing at the ring along with his sister.

"I have no words, save thank you," Ninian said, looking up at Lyn and Adelessa.

"Come – we should be going," Adelessa said. "There's no telling when reinforcements may arrive and come to check on him. Morning will come soon." Watching as the group left the room, she frowned at Matthew. "What are you looking for?" she asked when she saw that he was still digging through papers.

"This and that," he said distractedly, obviously not paying her much notice. "Nothing in particular – ah-hah!" The last bit he murmured to himself and his fingers stopped. "Now that _is_ interesting." When Adelessa leaned over to see what had him so intrigued, he folded the papers under his arm and shut the drawer. "None of your business," he finally answered fully, his eyes all but daring her to challenge him. "You said we should be leaving?"

Adelessa knew when to pick her battles. "Yes – the others are outside already, I'd imagine," she said. Matthew flourished when they reached the door, bowing and letting her walk ahead of him. Passing through the door, she couldn't help but wonder if it was a wise idea to walk in front of him. Despite that, they left the castle without a problem and rejoined the group.

"Look at them – so late," Sain teased. "Should we have left you without a chaperone?"

Adelessa's cheeks burned at the suggestion and Matthew's laughter. She stalked over to her horse to help Ninian up onto her horse, having decided to walk in place of Ninian. Kent spared her from having to say anything when he began scolding his partner. Once Ninian was settled, the group made tracks away from the abandoned castle.

_First bandits and assassins,_ Adelessa thought wearily, _and now the Black Fang. All we need now is an army after us._ She watched Lyn's back as she rode alongside Ninian. _I'm glad, at least, that I'm here to help her. We're ten days from Caelin – soon it will be over._

* * *

><p><em><em>**A/N:** Sorry about this being a bit late! With the craziness of the holidays, I didn't realize it was Friday until just now. x_))) Many apologies for the wait!

Once more, super-huge-normous thanks to **Tom-Ato13**, **patattack**, **AquaticSilver**, and **MilleniaMaster**! Your support and feedback mean the world to me! And an equally warm thanks to those of you who have faved or watched this fic; I'm glad you like it enough for that!


	10. On the Road

On the Road

"Oh, sir Sain, you're going to make me blush!"

"I fail to see the problem in that," he replied, grinning, "except that this means that you're unused to such praise! That is the true tragedy here – that a wildflower – nay, a glorious _sunrise_ such as you would not be given your fair dues." Sain pressed a hand to his chest, his face falling in melodramatic anguish. "The very thought that you would lack compliments is close to breaking my heart."

"Only a true knight such as you could understand," Serra replied, batting her eyelashes at Sain. "I believe that you're the first who has ever understood my plight like this!"

Caught somewhere between laughter and the urge to roll her eyes in disgust, Adelessa followed after the two. They were on the road to Caelin, about five days away from their destination, and the group was in high spirits. They had been making good time thanks to favorable weather conditions and each person's effort. The fact that there hadn't been a single incident helped; Adelessa was beginning to think that her worries over the Black Fang were blown out of proportion by the situations in which they found themselves.

She looked over at Erk; unlike her, he wasn't torn in his reaction to the banter between the two. He looked almost like he was about to be ill and was glowering at Serra's back with the venom of a man walked over too many times without being able to do a thing about it. Once again, Adelessa found herself sorry for the poor man.

"What a cruel world this is, that no one would comprehend the pain with which you have lived," Sain lamented. "You must be a terribly strong woman to bear it for so long, and all by yourself! Please, my lady Serra – allow me on our travels to try to fix this most terrible error leveled against you."

Afraid that she'd soon start laughing outright at their exchange, Adelessa forced herself to survey the rest of her group. Kent had given up trying to control Sain a full mark ago; he rode just ahead of the two, leading the group through the Lycian countryside. It was a great deal more beautiful now with the blooming spring Adelessa found; when she had last passed through, it had been the middle of winter. Now green grass sprouted everywhere, blanketing the hillsides with emerald waves. The delicate perfume of new flowers drifted on the mild breezes that forced her to plait her hair in a braid. Trees burst with pale flowers and bright new leaves, their colors startlingly brilliant against the vivid blue of the sky.

"This will work well for our camp for the evening." Kent's announcement roused Adelessa's attention even as she slowed to a stop.

"Not another drafty fortress!" Sain complained. "Kent, can't you find a place that's a little less run-down?" Despite his complaint, the green-armored knight followed after his fellow knight. "We should hardly allow the women to suffer through this night after night!"

Kent fixed his fellow knight with a stern stare. "Better a drafty fortress than a town filled with assassins," he informed the man. "Now stop wooing Serra and help me scout the area."

* * *

><p>"Pardon me, Miss Aydie." Florina's hesitant, gentle question made Adelessa look up from where she was unpacking her supplies. She paused in the middle of pulling a heavy, leather-bound book out of her pack. "Are you busy? I can let you be if you are."<p>

"Not at all," Adelessa replied, setting the book down on top of a small tower of others. "What can I do for you, Florina?"

She watched the violet-haired girl fidget for a moment before she blurted, "Do you think this is going to end well? I'm so scared about what's going on with all these assassins and bandits and they're all going after Lyn – or is it Lyndis now? – and I'm glad I'm getting training but it's all so _different_ and…." Adelessa was taken aback when Florina suddenly burst into tears.

"It's alright, Florina," she said, hurrying around the bags between them to give the poor girl a hug. Florina clung to her in a tight hug and bawled into her shoulder as Adelessa rubbed her back. "Everything's going to be just fine." Florina hiccuped and looked up at her with huge blue eyes, hoping for reassurance. "Lyn's strong and she's surrounded by very able, loyal people – including you."

That coaxed a smile out of the pegasus knight and she sniffled a little. "You really think so?" she asked timidly.

"I really do." Adelessa held Florina out at arm's length, her hands still holding the girl's thin shoulders. "Every person in this company is able. You may still be learning, but you're doing a very impressive job so far."

"I just… I just feel like you're really worried about me when I'm out there."

"That's because I am." Adelessa didn't give Florina's face a chance to fall before she continued. "I'm worried about you, yes, but I'm worried about everyone out there."

"Really?"

"You've all given me the power to direct you. That's a lot of responsibility and I don't want any of you getting hurt. I worry about you just as much as everyone else." _Maybe __a __little __more,_ she allowed, _but__ that__'__s__ because __you__'__re __still __in__ training __and __I __want __to __make __sure __you __live __long __enough __that __you __can __graduate __into __a__ full-fledged __pegasus __knight._

"Oh." Florina thought on that for a moment. She gave Adelessa a brilliant smile after a moment. "I see! Thank you, Miss Aydie."

"Just call me Aydie, Florina." The girl was heartened when she got a smile from the tactician-in-training.

"I will Mis- oops! I mean Aydie!" Adelessa watched her hurry off and nodded to herself. She turned back to unpacking her books.

* * *

><p>Adelessa tapped the feathery end of her quill against her lips. <em>If <em>_I __were __to __move __those __soldiers __there, __they __could __flank- __no, __that__'__s __not __right, __because__ then __the __enemy__'__s __cavalry __could __pinch__ them__ between __the__ river __and__ their __advance._ She frowned in concentration, the sun warm on her back as she stared at the diagram of a battlefield that rested on her thighs. She sat on a gently-sloping hill, her legs braced against it and her torso curled forward almost protectively over the diagram. After a long moment of trying to puzzle it out, she sighed in surrender and referred to one of the books lying next to her on the grass.

She'd decided to let her suspicions and worries sit by the side while she studied; even if Matthew was something more than just a thief, he seemed to be content with just watching her and biding his time for now. Adelessa had more pressing concerns between preparing for any more trouble and the dwindling days until her examination to become a full-fledged tactician. Luckily, in the five days they'd been traveling, there hadn't been any more trouble than having a hard time hunting down dinner.

"If I didn't know better, Ayde, I'd think you didn't like my cooking," Wil said cheerfully, his shadow cooling her back when he walked up behind her. "You keep forgetting about dinner."

"Oh! Is it that time already?" She hadn't noticed time pass; this was the fourth day in a row that she'd lost track of the time and failed to appear for the meal. "I'm sorry – I'll wrap this up quick and be right there." Folding up the piece of paper, Adelessa stuffed it into its place in the book.

"What is all this, anyways? You didn't seem to do all this when we first met up," he observed, helping her pick up books.

"When a journeyman is done with his travels," Adelessa said, "he has to take a test to qualify as a full tactician." Closing the clasp on the bag in which she'd put her books, she hefted it up on her shoulder. "I'm taking that test in about a month."

"You seem to be doing fine in leading us," Wil pointed out, walking next to her as they returned to the camp.

"Yes, but this is a small group – a fair amount of the test will cover my skills in directing large groups of soldiers. Armies, even." Adelessa chewed on the inside of her lip. "I've always been good with short-term battles and small groups. I've never been great with long, drawn-out battles or large groups."

Wil hummed in response to that, looking thoughtful. They walked in silence for a moment more before he asked, "When you were talking about journeymen, you said 'he' all the time. You're still a girl, right?"

That question surprised a laugh out of her. "Yes, yes," she chuckled, "I am. But," she continued, more seriously, "usually women don't make it beyond the university part of becoming a tactician. And there's never been one who's gotten through the journeyman portion _and_ passed the test." She tilted her head to one side when she saw Wil staring at her in amazement. "What is it?"

"I never thought I'd have the chance to talk with someone who's going to make history!" he exclaimed. "Imagine that – I can brag to my grandchildren that I got to work under the first woman tactician!" Adelessa laughed as he continued to gush praises and excitement.

"If I didn't know better," she told him, "I'd think that you're more excited for this than I am."

"Well, yeah – Ayde, you know that the people who work alongside those who make history always make a bigger deal of it than the person who actually did!" he told her sternly. "All of you are so darned modest that we have to make a big fuss to make sure you get the recognition!"

"What's so funny?" Nils asked; the two were still chuckling when they walked up to the camp. "C'mon, hurry – Sain said he'd eat all of your portion if you didn't get there soon, Aydie!"

"Oh, dear," she said, looking shocked enough that they all knew that she was joking. "I'd best hurry back with you, then!"

Following dinner – which was an unusually quiet affair, since Sain and Wil had gone off to argue over which way would work best to get to Caelin – Adelessa returned to her studies, scouring her book for tactics and memorizing those she found. She didn't take long breaks; the only time she stopped reading was when she paused to take a drink of water or a brief halt to stretch. It was during the latter that she realized Kent was standing in the doorway of the room in which she'd hidden away; they were staying in another abandoned fortress, though this one was more intact than the previous few.

"Hello, Kent," she said, dropping her arms to her sides. "What can I do to help you?"

"Actually, Wil mentioned that you were studying tactics. I was wondering if you would like some assistance; I studied some myself as preparation to take on the duties of being the captain of the guard."

"You know, I'd really like it if you could help," Adelessa responded. "How much do you know about large-scale tactics?"

* * *

><p>Moonless nights made his job so much easier. The stars weren't enough to make his red cloak stand out against the stone; even Kent hadn't spotted him skulking around the fortress. Not that the knight had a prayer of seeing him in the first place – even if the moon had been out, Matthew was <em>very<em> good at sneaking. His feet padded silently down the hallway. He'd passed by almost every member of the group at this point; Kent and Sain were on watch, so he didn't need to sneak past them. The only person he hadn't seen was the green-garbed girl who acted as tactician.

His mouth turned down in a frown at that. She'd been more and more absent over the past several days, disappearing for hours at a time until someone – usually Wil or Lyn – retrieved her for meals. Honestly, he didn't trust her; no one knew exactly where she was from or what any of her goals were. There were too many pieces that didn't add up. She was jumpy and, much to his surprise, almost as stealthy as himself. When she decided that she was going to go and gather information, Matthew had thought that Aydie was going to get herself caught. Instead she had managed to surprise him with how deftly she had moved.

She seemed terribly intelligent, as well; he would have expected that of a tactician, but with how absent-minded Aydie seemed to be – and he wondered if that was only a façade – he would never have guessed that she would be quite so sharp. She noticed things that others didn't. She was even keeping her eye on him; he found that he wouldn't be surprised if she knew that he was both suspicious of her and that he was more than what he purported to be. That she trusted him enough to let him do as he wished was the more startling piece; however much she distrusted him, she had enough faith in him to let him walk around free and trust that he'd act on her orders in battle.

He couldn't forget the most disturbing part of what he'd noticed, though. Serra's healing magic worked on everyone: he'd seen her use it time and time again. Why on Elibe would it fail to heal the wound Aydie had suffered shortly after he met her? What was wrong with the girl that the magic hadn't even touched her? Yes, some people were more resistant to the effects of magic, but he'd never heard of anyone on whom healing didn't work!

If there was anything that Matthew hated, it was not knowing something important. Aydie was a cipher and his gut instinct told him that she was more than just a normal student. The fact that she dodged most questions about her past and nimbly turned conversations to focus on other people – at least after he'd managed to get her to tell how she started this whole mess – told him that she was hiding something. Matthew was determined to find out what that was; he refused to let someone potentially dangerous wander around Lycia and wreak havoc with its politics.

Matthew slowed to a halt when he reached a door; light flickered weakly from within. He didn't hear any scribbling from within; in fact, he only heard slow, deep breaths. Leaning forward, he saw that the lamp on the desk was close to dying out. Its sputtering light lit the face of the young woman in the room. Her torso slumped toward the desk, her arms and head resting on its flat surface. She still loosely held a quill in one hand, the feathered end wiggling with each quiet breath that puffed against it. It was obvious that she had fallen asleep while working. Squinting at the papers strewn across the desk, he could just barely make out diagrams of battlefields. He felt a thrill of discovery when he saw part of her name underneath her hand; he couldn't make out her family name, but her given name was written in a clear, easily read script: Adelessa.

For a moment he considered seeing if he could figure out anything else from what she had scattered around the room, but his conscience pricked at the thought of bothering her while she slept. Pragmatism reminded him that she might wake up if he started going through her belongings; he'd seen her bolt awake at the slightest sounds. At least slightly reassured that she wasn't plotting against them, or at least not in a manner immediately worrisome, the blonde withdrew from the room with one last glance at the sleeping girl.

"Before this trip is through, Adelessa," he promised her, "I'll figure out just who you are – and what you're up to."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**Welcome to Bonus Wednesday! :3 This is an extra little update. I felt like adding a chapter of just character interaction and found that I thought it was a bit too small to have as a normal Friday update. I can't promise how often bonus updates will happen, but I'll try to do one every so often. ^_))) This one in particular is a celebration of my successful completion of NaNoWriMo – I finished with just under 53000 words!

Thanks as always to wonderful reviewers – **Tom-Ato13, ****MilleniaMaster, AquaticSilver,** and **patattack** – and all those who add this story to your favorites and alerts! You guys make me want to write even more even faster!

Stay tuned for Friday's normal update! We'll be going onward to Chapter 8 then.

Toodles~!


	11. Vortex of Strategy

Vortex of Strategy

Adelessa felt terribly antsy standing still; the tension and excitement hung thick in the air like a heavy cloud, engulfing the entire group. Even Lucius' calm seemed to falter, making him mill about instead of standing in one place. On the far end of the spectrum, Serra and Erk were quarreling yet again; both of them were cross with the other for some reason. Glancing over at the two knights who had led them this far across the continent, she couldn't help but feel mildly irritated at the fact that they needed to stop and consult their map. _They__'__re __from__ Caelin,_ she thought, tugging at a knot in her hair when she combed her fingers through it. _Shouldn__'__t __they __know__ the __way __without __having __to __look __at__ a __map __every __few__ hours?_ Deep down, Adelessa knew she was being unfair, but the waiting was hard on her nerves.

"Look, Aydie!" Adelessa looked over at her friend; Lyn was staring out at the scenery around them. Her wide grin was infectious; Adelessa found herself smiling despite her nervous energy. "Look at them – the mountains are so far away now. Think of how far we've come!"

"A long ways," she replied, looking out at the mountains behind them. They were faded with distance, a filmy veil drawn over them thanks to the miles they'd traveled. "It's a strange thing to see when you've lived your entire life with them looming above you."

"You know the feeling too?" Lyn asked. Adelessa caught herself; she hadn't meant to say that.

"Milady Lyndis! Aydie!" Sain hurried over from them, having just finished conferring with Kent. His cheerful call saved her from having to explain her remark to Lyn. "We aren't very far from the castle now!"

"If I'm correct," the other knight added, "we can reach Castle Caelin in two days – if we hurry."

"Two more days," Lyn echoed, turning her gaze down the road. Adelessa knew that she was imagining the castle – and family – that waited at the end of their journey. "Hold on, Grandfather. Please…."

"Cheer up, Lyn," Florina said, touching her friend's shoulder. Lyn looked down, surprised; Adelessa figured from her tone that she had been thinking her plea and hadn't meant to say it. She smiled, her face losing the sorrowful lines that had become more and more common over the past several days. "If they see you looking so sad, everyone else will start feeling upset as well." The girl's earnest eyes gazed up at her friend right before she hugged Lyn.

"Florina – you're right," Lyn said, visibly pulling herself together. "I'll only wear myself out if I worry. All we can do is keep moving and trust that things will work out somehow."

"That's the spirit," Adelessa said. "Tomorrow will worry about itself. We need to keep working at today and take things one step at a time."

"Right!" Florina agreed brightly.

Lyn smiled widely at them. "You two sure do know how to cheer me up," she told them. "Thank you." She turned to face the road ahead, her back straight and her head held up proudly. "We'd best be going, then – there's no sense in wasting time here!" Adelessa followed behind her, smiling at the young woman who had become so dear to her in the time that they'd been traveling together. She looked up and to her left where Nils and Ninian both sat in her horse's saddle; they were small and light enough that it worked. The two had hardly separated since they rescued Ninian and recovered her ring; their blue-haired heads were together far more often than not.

The boy murmured something, causing Adelessa to frown. "What was that, Nils?" she asked. "I didn't quite catch it."

"Danger approaches," he mumbled, his ruby eyes half-closed and unfocused.

Adelessa scanned their surroundings, shading her eyes with one hand against the bright sun overhead. They were near an armory, but it was quiet; the lull of the noon meal had stalled almost any traffic and business. Small copses of trees speckled the countryside around the road, but she couldn't see anything in them. A village nestled between two sets of mountains and hills to the east; cliffs dropped off to the south. Beyond those she could see a river and a small fort. "I don't see anything," she told him. "Are you sure?"

"I feel it, too," Ninian, her voice nervous and urgent. "I'm sure of it – ah!" She tumbled from the horse and Adelessa barely managed to catch her. Instead of returning to the saddle, the dancer ran forward and grabbed Lyn's sleeve. "Don't move!"

Lyn jerked to a stop with Ninian, confused as to why the girl was clinging to her so desperately. She threw up an arm in surprise when a blurred bolt crashed to the ground near her, sticking solidly into the road. Frozen at the realization of just how close Lyn had come to death, Adelessa shakily ordered her back even as she stepped forward. The bolt was like that of a crossbow, only much larger – it was close to the size of her forearm with a large, terribly sharp arrowhead. _If__ she __had__ been __hit __with __this,_ the brunette thought uneasily, _there __would __have __been __no __recovery. __I __doubt __there__ would __have__ been __enough __left __for __Serra __to __even _try_ healing._

"Where did this bolt come from?" she asked out loud, her eyes roaming. "They must have a ballista, but _where?_"

"Lord Lundgren must be getting serious," Sain said, his face uncharacteristically grim. "Deploying siege engines… this is worse than I had been afraid of."

"Florina," Adelessa ordered, "you must stay on the ground. Do you hear me? Don't take to the air – they'll shoot you down in a heartbeat if they see you."

"Is there a way to fight it?" Lyn asked. Her face was pale; Adelessa knew that she was shaken from her near brush with death. "If it can attack from distances where we can't see it..."

Adelessa nodded. "If we can find it," she replied, "and I have a good idea where it is, we can have someone ride ahead and attack it. Once we do that... Wil, can you use a ballista?"

"I've never tried," he mused, "but it's just a really big bow. It shouldn't be _too_ hard to figure out. Just let me get to it and I'm sure I can make something happen."

"Good – that's all I can really ask of you at this point," Adelessa said. "I think... If I were the enemy commander, I'd put the ballista among those hills to the southeast." She pointed over at them. "We may not be able to see it from here, but that doesn't mean they can't fire on us. We may just have to accept a fight of attrition."

"I could ride south along the bluffs to reach it faster," Kent volunteered. "Between the trees along the way and moving quickly, I should be able to avoid the worst of the ballista's shots."

_If __he __can__ take __out __the __ballista __right __away, __this __battle __will __go__ that __much__ smoother,_ Adelessa thought. _At __the __same__ time, __rushing __in __like __that __will __put __him __at __risk__ – __there__'__s __no __knowing __how __many __troops __are __lying __in __wait __along __that __path._ Looking at the orange-haired knight, she saw that he knew just as well as she did the possibility that something could – and likely would – go wrong in this attempt. _And __you __still __volunteered,_ she thought somberly.

"That would work, but I don't want you going alone," she decided finally. "Actually, if we stay within the clumps of trees along that path, the group should be fairly safe if you lead and help to clear out any enemies. Though... there is that village to the east. Florina, I may have you visit it to warn them about the fighting."

"I thought you wanted me to stay grounded," the girl replied, looking uncertain at this new order.

"If you skirt far to the north – almost to the other face of the second set of hills that make up that valley – you should be safe from the ballista. It shouldn't be able to shoot quite that far," Adelessa told her. "If you want, I can send Sain with you."

"No, thank you," Florina replied. "I-I should be fine. I'll get going now."

Once she was sure that Florina was fine and had started to get ready to take to the air once more, Adelessa scanned the group to make sure that everyone was present. When her count came up one short, she stopped and checked over those present once more. "Does anyone know where Matthew is?" she asked, trying to ignore the way her stomach plummeted to her feet. _Did __he __betray __us?__ Where __could __he __have __gone?__ When __did__ he __slip __away?_

_Is __he __hurt? __Did __he__ get __ambushed?_ asked another part of her mind, one more willing to trust and believe the good in people – even in the case of a thief who never told the whole truth. Perhaps _especially_ in Matthew's case. _What__'__s__ going __on?__ I __hope __he__'__s__ not __hurt._

"Matthew? Oh, he said he had to take care of some business when we stopped to check the map," Wil told her. "He didn't want to bother you and that he'd catch up with us down the road, maybe when we stopped for the night."

Finding herself caught somewhere between relief, outrage, and chagrin, the young woman let that slide with nothing more than a neutral, "Well, at least I don't have to watch over him in this fight." Satisfied with the rest of the group, she nodded crisply. "Then we're all here. Let's head south – make sure to stay in the trees and keep safe. Nils, Ninian, I want you to tell me the instant you feel something wrong," she instructed. "And Serra, stick close to them. If you see someone sorely wounded I want you to go help them, but if you're near these two you have the best chance of staying out of harm's way. Sain, join Kent on point and help clear out the road ahead of us – but _be__ careful_. Everyone else, stick together and keep an eye out for any more bolts."

The first several moments of the battle alternately flashed by and crawled past Adelessa. Adrenaline-fueled dashes from one clump of trees to the next zipped by in double time. The halting seconds between, where she froze to watch Kent and Sain continue on, barely trickled forward. Then she was off, sprinting for the next bunch of trees. She could have sworn that her heart stopped when one ballista bolt missed her by mere feet and struck the tree next to her, quivering with the force of its impact; only Nils' shouted warning had stopped her long enough to avoid that unfortunate end.

The strange distortion of time Adelessa was experiencing crystallized and returned to something more familiar when their first enemy survived the charging assault of Kent and Sain. His face was obscured by the gleaming helmet that covered it, the green and yellow metal matching the rest of his armor. The lance he held was of good quality, not the shoddy stuff that brigands carried, and he held it with the confidence granted by training. All of this information was gathered in the second that Adelessa's eyes rested on him; she skidded to a halt while Kent and Sain rode forward to neutralize the ballista.

"Dorcas, take him out!" she ordered. The fighter lunged forward almost instantly – he'd already had his axe out and ready to strike. She only watched long enough to see him break the soldier's lance before the group was moving again. Trusting him to win that fight, Adelessa emerged from the trees.

Lucius and Erk were standing next to each other, their magical attacks focused on two men on horseback. Those attacks blocked two men on horseback from reaching where Kent and Sain were attacking the ballista. The archer on it tried to defend himself with the assistance of another archer, but they were obviously outclassed by the two cavaliers. Even as Adelessa watched, Sain's horse reared up and struck at the second archer with its hooves. The archer had a second to goggle when his bow snapped in half before a sword swung across his chest.

Adelessa looked away to see that the enemy cavaliers had realized that there was no way to save the archers and were instead swinging around to attack Lucius and Erk. Lyn jumped in front of them, blocking a sword strike from the first that would have landed on the mage. She couldn't move quickly enough to prevent the second from getting through to Lucius. The monk grimaced in pain as a red slash cut his left arm. Despite that injury, Lucius was able to raise his uninjured arm and send a wave of light magic that threw the man from his horse. Lyn was buckling under the strength of the other cavalier's blows; from the shaking of her arms, Adelessa could tell that she could only stand a few more attacks before her guard faltered.

It was then that Kent surged forward, his sword raised high. He swung it down and dropped the cavalier. "Are you alright, milady?" he asked Lyn.

"I'm fine, thank you," she replied gratefully, rolling her shoulders.

"Wil – they've cleared out the ballista," Adelessa said, waving him forward. "Go ahead and see if there's anything you can do with it." She quickly looked around, checking to make sure that no one was in any immediate danger. Serra was already tending to Lucius, the orb on the top of her staff glowing while the wound on his arm healed over. Besides that, there was only the group reassembling around her while Wil trotted over to the ballista.

"Oh, this is _neat_." The archer whistled. An ear-to-ear grin of admiration lit up h is face. "There's only one bolt left, but I should be more than able to use this thing." He grunted as he turned it to face south where Adelessa had just spotted more men in the same green and yellow armor as the men that they had been fighting so far. "I think I can get that knight in the center," he told her, loading the bolt into the ballista.

"Go ahead and fire at him, then," she told him once she was sure that no one in the group was standing in the line of fire.

Wil nodded in reply and carefully aimed the siege weapon. Adelessa noted that he was adjusting it to lead the pace of the heavily-armored man as he marched toward the south end of the bridge where the group had gathered. The ballista snapped in recoil, nearly threw Wil off his feet, and launched its missile at the knight. It just missed its target, but succeeded in pinning one of the lesser soldiers escorting the knight to the ground.

"Oh, that was _incredible!_" Wil crowed, the grin still plastered to his face. "But – uh-oh. Uh, Ayde? That knight doesn't look very happy!"

"I noticed!" she replied, not looking away from where his other three soldiers were running to intercept the group. "Dorcas, Sain, Kent – up front! Block them at the end of the bridge!"

"What are you waiting for?" the knight bellowed in response. "They're nothing but _fleas!_ Rush 'em – and get that girl!" He pointed his lance at Lyn. On his shield was some sort of house crest; from across the river, Adelessa couldn't tell what it was.

His soldiers and her fighters crashed together at the end of the bridge. Dorcas stood between Kent and Sain, hefted his heavy axe, and hacked at one man with a mighty swing. The two cavaliers rushed forward past him with their lances at the ready, each charging one of the remaining two men.

The knight staggered back in what Adelessa could imagine was only dismay or surprise. Sain and Kent both pursued him as the group ran across the bridge. They corralled the knight and drove him back toward Dorcas' waiting axe. That battle ended swiftly; the fighter's axe was able to punch through the armor without much trouble.

"Lucius, would you mind saying rites for the dead?" Adelessa asked the monk. "I want them to have a proper send-off before we bury their bodies."

"Certainly. Give me a few moments before you begin to do anything with them."

"Is it over?" Lyn asked, coming over to Adelessa once Lucius walked away. Adelessa's heart ached when she saw the weariness, stress, and sorrow in the young woman's eyes.

"It is," Adelessa said. "There aren't any more soldiers around here – at least not any that I can see."

"I don't see any more enemy soldiers," Kent said. His voice was odd; the inflection on the word "enemy" raised a flag in the back of Adelessa's mind.

"Is something wrong, Kent?" Adelessa asked.

"I… during the fighting," he started hesitantly, an unusual expression of uncertainty and hurt on his face, "our opponents…. They were soldiers of Caelin. I recognized some of them – I _trained_ with them."

Adelessa gasped in slow-dawning horror as she realized the implications of this discovery. "And they didn't even hesitate before attacking us," she murmured, suddenly knowing why Kent's voice was so odd. Hers sounded strange to her own ears.

"Then they're black-hearted traitors who joined Lord Lundgren," Sain snarled. He spat on the ground. "Good riddance. That just means we have less resistance when we get to the castle."

"I hope you're right," Kent told him.

"Well, I'm just glad you were here with us, Nils, Ninian," Lyn said to the siblings, helping Nils down off of the horse. "If that first shot had hit me…." She winced. "I don't think I would be here talking to you."

"We're glad to have helped," Ninian said softly.

"Yeah!" Nils piped up, giving Lyn a quick hug. "You know we won't let you down!"

"We're relying on you," Adelessa told them. "I'm glad you decided to come along with us. Thank you. Now, then – I believe Lucius finished his work with the bodies. Even if they're traitors, these men were still from Caelin. They deserve a proper burial."

"If you say so," Sain replied dubiously. "Want some help?"

"Please," she replied. "I don't think I'd be able to dig a large enough hole for all of them myself."

"What, you can't wave up some magic tactic to make it work?" Sain teased, hiding his unease under his usual nature. Adelessa gave him a smile in return. It seemed to hearten him. "We'd best get to work, then." He quickly gathered Dorcas and Kent; Adelessa had, in that time, decided on a spot near the ballista to bury them. A quick glance above her let her see that Florina was coming in for a landing. Dismissing that – she figured that the girl would have alerted everyone if she was injured or something was wrong – she picked up a shovel and surveyed the ground, deciding the best place to begin digging.

"You dealt with the ballista, too?" A smooth voice right behind her made Adelessa jump, drop her shovel, and whirl around. Matthew stood there, smirking at her reaction. "Nicely done!"

"Matthew, where on Elibe have you been?" Adelessa demanded, any happiness at seeing him back in one whole, unharmed piece soured by his method of greeting her.

He chuckled at her ire, unfazed. "Oh, I just went to the village to sniff around for information. Florina was kind enough to give me a ride back here," he said casually, waving a hand. When Adelessa took a breath and started preparing to scold him, he cut her off. "I got some interesting tidbits for my trouble."

She crossed her arms over her chest, green eyes boring into Matthew's own blue ones. "Fine," she bit out. "Let's hear it."

"First, about Marquess Caelin's illness – he really is sick," Matthew said, his smile dropping from his face abruptly. He looked directly at Lyn, who had stepped up by Adelessa's side when she saw how agitated her friend was. "He's been kept to his bed for almost three months now."

"Oh, no," Lyn gasped, her eyes growing large and round. Adelessa shoved her irritation to the side and rested a hand on Lyn's shoulder, concern ousting the anger she felt about the thief's actions.

"_But_," he continued, stressing the word, "I heard an interesting rumor about his sickness. People believe that he's not just ill – most think that someone's been _poisoning_ the marquess."

Sorrow transformed swiftly to anger, the expressions changing in an instant on Lyn's face. "Poison?" she growled, her dark blue eyes flashing with sudden fury.

"Right. Most people are too afraid to point any fingers. But just as soon as the marquess fell ill, a certain noble took up the castle like it was his. I fed a hungry innkeeper some coin – he fed me a name."

"Lundgren," Adelessa said quietly.

"Right in one."

"But how can – how can they let him get away with this?" Lyn demanded. "The villagers _know_ he's the one poisoning my grandfather, but no one says or does anything? Why-"

"They're afraid," Adelessa told her. Matthew's grim look when she glanced at him for confirmation sealed her theory. "It's not like the average person can do anything against a noble." She heard the bitterness in her own voice and tried to tone it down a bit. "You need proof to take down a noble like that. If you don't, well… common people aren't seen as important. No one will miss one or two here and there."

Lyn's dismay only increased when Matthew nodded. "That's the truth of it," he confirmed. "Any of the marquess' retainers that might have been able to provide any evidence have all disappeared."

"Are you saying they've been silenced?" Lyn asked incredulously.

"It's a fair assumption."

"This… this is beyond believing," Kent said, shaking his head in disgust.

"This is politics," Adelessa corrected him.

"Just wait," Matthew said, his mouth stretching in a grim imitation of a smile. "The worst news is yet to come."

"What?" Sain gasped, gaping at the thief. "There's _more?_"

"An imposter has appeared, claiming to be the daughter of the marquess. She's accompanied by two traitorous knights who want to bid for power with this baseborn look-alike. At least," he added, "that's the story that Lundgren's telling to anyone who will listen."

"But… but that…" Kent stammered, unable to form any kind of argument in his dismay.

Sain didn't share that problem. "Traitors? Us? That's ridiculous!"

"He says… I'm an imposter?" Lyn asked, disbelief thick in her face. Adelessa knew that this would hit hard for the Sacaean; having grown up on the plains as an honest Sacaean, Lyn had never had to be exposed to the vitriol and back-stabbing nature of politics and the claim that she was a liar would be especially wounding.

"We don't have anything to prove your lineage – that's the main problem," she said to Lyn. "We're sure there's nothing…?"

"When my mother became a member of the tribe, she didn't bring anything from Lycia with her."

"But… milady, Marquess Araphen mentioned that you look just like Lady Madelyn! You can use your looks as proof!" Sain exclaimed.

"No, we can't," Adelessa said, shaking her head. "Like Matthew said, Lundgren will say that we found a look-alike somewhere."

"We're seen as betrayers of our knightly vows," Kent said, his voice as cold and hard as iron. "Our word doesn't mean anything now. Our only hope is to go to Marquess Caelin and have him meet Lady Lyndis."

"Then we have to hurry," Adelessa said. "If what you've said is true…."

"If it is, we have to get there quickly," Lyn said, her eyes flashing. "I will see my grandfather, even if it's with my last breath!"

"But before we do," Adelessa said sternly, "we have to come up with a plan. If we just march up to the castle, we'll run right into the troops – who are loyal to Lundgren – patrolling the area. Since you're seen as oath-breakers, we'll never be able to make it through to the castle!"

"Eliwood seemed sympathetic to our plight," Lyn said.

"And he should still be in Kathelet," Adelessa reminded her. "We could petition him for help. That's at least a starting point – if we can get some sort of support…."

Lyn nodded. "Then that's where we'll go – we need to ride back to Kathelet!"

Adelessa watched as the knights and Lyn burst into action, gathering together the group and preparing them to head back to the previous territory. "A good plan," she murmured to herself.

"Eh, fair enough as these sorts of things go," Matthew commented, looking over at her. "Now you have the chance to bend another young lord to your plans."

She stared at him for a moment, speechless and caught completely off-guard by his comment. "What? That's not what I'm trying to do at all!" she finally managed.

"Whatever you say," he said easily, turning to watch the preparations himself.

_We__'__re __not __trying __to __manipulate __anyone. __We__'__re__ just __going __to __petition __Lord __Eliwood__ for__ help. _She frowned and chewed on the inside of her lip. _Though__ I__ hope __very __much__ that __he __does __help __us,_ she thought. _I __don__'__t __know__ that __I__'__ll__ be __able __to__ do __this __if __we __don__'__t __get __at __least __some __assistance. _Embroiled in her thoughts and tentative plans as she was, the young woman missed the measuring gaze that Matthew settled on her. He watched her for a moment before walking past her to join the rest of the group, his hand dropping from where it had been resting on his knife.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** To anyone who may have missed it, there was an update on Wednesday! Go read it if you haven't yet!

Super-huge thanks to my reviewers! **AquaticSilver, MilleniaMaster, Raven the Blood Witch, Tom-Ato13, **and **patattack** - you guys are amazing! I can't express how happy your comments make me when I see them pop up in my inbox! 3

And things are starting to come to a head in Lyn's story. What do you think - will Aydie and Matthew be able to reconcile their differences before the big show-down with Lundgren? People started wondering just what the heck is going on with this strange tactician girl, too - I'm always excited to see if anyone has any theories. :3 Drop a review with your theory if you have one!


	12. A Grim Reunion

A Grim Reunion

Adelessa didn't pace.

Usually she was content to sit and think to pass the time; if available, she'd read a book or settle down to write a letter. Needless, repetitive motion just wasn't her thing. It didn't accomplish anything, after all, and might only wear her out or bother people near her.

Adelessa didn't pace.

After all, walking back and forth in a short, straight line was hardly interesting. If she was going to walk, she might as well go outside where there were interesting things to see and do. Never mind that the fresh air and slight breezes of spring were much preferred to the stuffy air inside.

Adelessa didn't pace.

And if she was inside, she was probably in a hall, where there was at least a proper place to walk. In that, there was a chance that she'd be getting in the way of other people or caught in a crowd – and while she didn't _mind_ crowds, per say, she certainly wasn't going to go out of her way to find and mill around in any.

Adelessa didn't pace.

Yet here she was, trying to dig a trench with her feet in the stone hallway. She stalked back and forth over a distance of about ten feet, tracing and re-tracing her steps in an anxious line. Her hair was pulled back in a sloppy braid; hair had been flicking into her face when she turned, something that only made her more agitated, and so she had pulled it back as best as she could. Her fingers rubbed a medallion that otherwise rested at the hollow of her throat and ran over the intricate knotwork of braided silver and gold wires that made it. Normally the gesture could calm her, but it wasn't helping now.

It was the earliest mark of the morning. The sun had hardly started to stretch its golden fingers across the sky and warm the brisk air of night. Dark bags hanging beneath her eyes betrayed that Adelessa had been up long before the sun. Her mind had kept her from sleeping properly; even when she was resting, she tossed and turned while her thoughts flew around inside her head. She had given up on getting any rest a couple of marks ago and had taken to her nervous pacing instead. Breakfast was out of the question: her stomach was too twisted and knotted with anxiety for her to even contemplate eating. It gave an unhappy lurch at the thought of food and she quickly turned her thoughts elsewhere.

Lyn had asked Eliwood for his assistance when they met in Kathelet two days ago. While she had been present, Adelessa had been so stung by Matthew's barbed comment that she couldn't bring herself to do any more than stand with Kent and Sain to proclaim her support for Lyn. The young lord from Pherae had cautiously agreed to send representatives to the territories surrounding Caelin, though he couldn't promise their answers to their request.

Today Eliwood was supposed to return here and meet with Lyn again to relay the answers he'd received. While Lyn was anxious, she seemed to be at peace with knowing that there wasn't anything more or less that she could do and spent a fair amount of time talking with Kent and Sain about Lycia and Caelin in particular. Adelessa was far from the level of her friend's serenity, knowing that the outcome of this answer would reveal if they could feasibly make it to the castle without drowning in troops or not. Unable to relax at the thought of directing people to their deaths – while being only a simple journeyman, no less! – the tactician-in-training had spent her time feverishly devoting her mind to her studies.

But now all of her hard work, all of the preparing of contingency plans, all of the strategy, was going to come into play with the news that Eliwood brought with him. She had no idea when he would arrive – though she did realize that it wouldn't be any time in the next couple of marks. Only she would be up this early in the morning.

She spun on one heel and paced along the path she'd walked spirits-only-knew how many times already. Her teeth chewed on her bottom lip. _If __he __isn__'__t __successful__ – __if __the __other __territories __of __Lycia __decide __to __act __and __support __Lundgren__ – __there__'__s __no __way __we __can __reach __Caelin __alive. __Certainly __not__ Lyn, __not __without __suffering __heavy__ casualties. __I__'__ve __thought __it __out __and __approached __it __from __every __angle __I__ can__ think __of; __it__'__s __always __the __same. _She hesitated for a minute in front of a window, looking up at the sky just beginning to lighten with the first rays of dawn. _Oh,__why__ did __I__ have __to__ take __this__ on? __It__'__s __too __high-profile __and__ the __lives __of __so__ many __people __hang __in__ the __balance! __Even __the __future __of __this __canton __rests __on __my __shoulders. __I__ shouldn__'__t __be __here, __I__ can__'__t __do __this-_

"Would you like some tea?" Lucius' calm, mellow voice cut into Adelessa's tempest of doubt and anxiety. She seized that lifeline even as she turned to face him.

"Thank you," she replied, taking one of the steaming mugs he offered. She blew across the top of it and sighed in luxurious pleasure when the steam tickled her cheeks. The delicate scent of green tea with its floral notes was a rare treat for her; she hadn't often had the chance for good quality tea. "Did I wake you up?"

"No – I normally wake up around now." The monk joined her in staring out of the window, sipping on his tea. "You seem agitated. Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"I'm just… anxious about all of this," she admitted before she could think to keep quiet. There was something disarming about Lucius, something that made her want to talk to him and tell him her burdens. "I don't know what I'm going to do if Eliwood doesn't bring us good news. I keep thinking things like 'I'm only a _student!_' and 'I don't know enough to make this all _work!_' and 'Someone _better_ should be doing this!'" She stifled a sigh, gripping her hands tighter around the warm mug. "I'm afraid that if I make a mistake, one of you will pay for my shortcomings."

"That's a fair fear," Lucius said, "and justified in this situation. But caving to that fear will make it a reality." He paused for a moment to sip on his tea, prompting her to do the same. "I would advise you to take it one step at a time. Plan once we know the news that Eliwood brings. Until then, all you can do is worry yourself sick – and if you do that, we'll be in even more dire straits without you. Perhaps you are not a master tactician, but you're all this group has. And, even more importantly, the group listens to you and loves you. Chances are that, even if another tactician came to direct us, we wouldn't do nearly as well as we do now." Patting Adelessa on the shoulder, Lucius gave her a slight smile. "Humility is a virtue, but you must be sure to be true to your own gifts and abilities. We have faith in you, Aydie. Don't forget to have faith in yourself."

Adelessa nodded, unable to find any words to respond to him, and returned her gaze to the world outside. The two stood, watching the world and sipping their tea, until Wil's chirping, "Good morning!" distracted Lucius. _He__'__s __right,_ she finally decided after she waved back to Wil and excused herself. _I __might __not __be __the __most __capable __tactician __in __history, __but __I__'__m__ the __only __one __here. __I __can__'__t __afford__ the __luxury __of __doubting __myself._ She finished her tea in a few quick sips and started down the hall.

When she returned to the room she'd claimed as hers, she carried the mug with her. _I__'__ll __have __to __thank __Lucius __later. __I __feel __much __better __now._ Instead of freshening up – which, admittedly, she knew she could use – Adelessa chose to retire to her bed. Lucius' words had put her frantic mind at ease, enough that she felt she could rest. She pulled the blanket up around her ears and laid her head down on the pillow.

Thunder rolled harshly into her ears while she was sleeping, bringing her instantly to wakefulness. Cursing her inability to sleep deeply, Adelessa was about to roll over and tug the blanket over her ears to muffle the noise when she realized that along with the thunder someone was yelling through her door.

"Aydie? Aydie, Eliwood's about here – Lyn says that you probably wanted to be there when he gives us his news!" She realized that the thunder was only someone knocking on her door. With a sigh of the long-suffering, Adelessa got out of bed and finger-combed her hair into a semblance of order. She tugged her over-tunic into draping properly and stepped up to the door. Sain grinned at her when she opened the door. "Good morning, sunrise. You look particularly beautiful today."

Adelessa stifled the urge to sigh at his flowery and flirtatious words – especially ones that she knew weren't terribly true – and instead gave him a smile in return. "Hello, Sain. Thank you for fetching me."

"Anything for you, my lovely lady," Sain replied, swooping in an exaggerated bow and grinning widely at her. His smile faltered slightly when Adelessa moved to skirt around him, her eyes gazing anywhere but at him. "Aydie?"

"Not now, Sain." Her voice was quiet and almost pleading. _Please._ "I have to go meet with Lord Eliwood." She hurried down the hallway and left the puzzled and concerned knight in her wake. _I__'__m __sorry,__ Sain__ – __I __just __can__'__t __talk __things __over __with __you __right __now._ She worked to school her face into a neutral if not happy expression as she made her way to the front-most room Lyndis' Legion was using.

Kent, Lyn, and Eliwood were there when she arrived. "Good morning, Lord Eliwood," Adelessa greeted. "Thank you for waiting for me. I trust that you've been well?"

"Quite, thank you. It's good to see you again." He smiled at her and once again she was amazed at his bearing: it was nothing short of regal. With Lyn she caught hints of the same, but it was muted by habits born of her humble upbringing. Eliwood's blue eyes were calm but bright and held no trace of subterfuge: he really was glad to see her. Adelessa gave him a smile more real than the one she had plastered on when she first joined them and moved to stand at Lyn's side.

"Eliwood, do you have news of what the other realms of Lycia plan to do in this situation?" Lyn asked as Sain entered the room. He moved to stand inconspicuously near Kent. "Coming here now means you must have some news for us."

"I do," he replied. "I received word from Caelin's neighbors – Laus, Tuscana, Kathelet, Tania, and Santaruz – late yesterday. Each has decided that they won't interfere with Caelin's affairs and gave their word that none of their strength would be borrowed in your dispute."

Adelessa could hardly keep herself from cheering: this was exactly the news she wanted to hear. Turning quickly, she found that Lyn had closed her eyes and was sagging with relief. "Eliwood," the Sacaean said almost breathlessly, "I don't know how to thank you."

He shook his head ruefully. "No thanks are necessary," he told her. There was a note of disappointment in his tone that made Adelessa start to worry again. "All I've done is convince them that they should remain neutral in this dispute. This means that I can't aid you in any other way – if I lend you my strength, it will free them from their promises." Eliwood's face held no small amount of concern. "Will you be alright?"

"I will win – I have to," Lyn told him. "Right, Aydie?"

"We have the strength to protect ourselves," she agreed. Adelessa turned to Eliwood. "I've been analyzing our position – my main worry was that the combined might of the other territories in the Lycian League would decide to side with Lundgren. If it's only Caelin's soldiers, we have a good chance to succeed."

Eliwood was visibly heartened by that news. The worried lines between his eyebrows smoothed out and his countenance lifted, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Is that so? I understand. And," he added, looking between the four of Lyndis' Legion with him in the room, "while I can't help you directly, as a friend I will pray for your success."

"Thank you," Lyn said again.

"We won't waste this opportunity that you've given us," Adelessa assured him.

"Fare well," he said. "I must return to Pherae – I promised my father that I would work with him in the near future. I look forward to hearing from you once all of this has been settled." While they said their goodbyes Lyn was almost vibrating with excitement. Only a few breaths had passed after Eliwood left the room before she grabbed Adelessa and squeezed her in a sudden, tight, and relieved hug. The young plainswoman laughed brightly and Adelessa found her glee as infectious as the cavaliers did.

"Alright," Lyn started, "we're going to have to tell everyone now. It's time to pack and get ready to get on the road!" The news spread quickly through the group, thanks mostly to Wil crowing it triumphantly – and _loudly_ – as soon as he heard. It took them less than a mark to gather all of their effects and start down the road. Any gloom that may have been hanging on the members of the legion had evaporated: the knowledge that they weren't marching into certain death heartened everyone.

"Not such a bad deal after all, is it?" Wil asked. "You'll get us through this just fine, right Ayde?" He jokingly elbowed her in the side, but his laughter died when Adelessa doubled over, gasping. "Ayde?"

She was glad that the archer grabbed her shoulders to help support her; when he elbowed her, the still-healing wound on her side protested even that gentle blow and sent pain screaming along sensitive nerves. The sound of Serra scolding him filtered into her mind. Gentle hands peeled off her over-tunic and hiked up the side of the yellow tunic underneath while still preserving her modesty.

"Aydie!" Serra's sharp yell was enough for Adelessa to snap her focus back into place. She saw that the cleric was frowning at her, their noses nearly touching as she rudely invaded her personal space. "What have you been doing? Your wound's hardly healed! When the doctor told you to rest, he meant it! Look at this – the stitches don't mean that you're automatically healthy!"

Adelessa yanked her tunic's hem down again. Her face burned with bright-red embarrassment that the men they traveled with had seen more skin than with what she was comfortable. "I'm just a slow healer," she replied defensively, tightening and securing her green over-tunic around herself again.

"A slow healer!" Serra said disbelievingly. "Aydie, slow doesn't begin to cover it. I had thought you'd healed up all the way already." The pink-haired cleric poked her in the chest when Adelessa sullenly stayed silent. "If I catch you doing anything strenuous, I'll lock you in a room myself! A beautiful woman like me shouldn't have to crease her face with worry with the way you're acting!" Serra grabbed her wrist and towed her over to where Adelessa's mare stood docilely on the road. "Up! You're not walking! And you'll owe me a favor for making me give up my horse!"

Adelessa sighed and heaved herself up into the saddle, patting Rea's neck. _This __could __be __her __way __of __being__ concerned,_ she reminded herself. "Thank you, Serra." She didn't have to worry about kicking Ninian off of her horse; Lyn had chosen to walk and let the siblings ride on her steed after Serra made a fuss at the end of the last leg of their journey.

The cleric sniffed and stalked forward, huffing. Matthew chuckled as she passed a little too loudly and she turned to rail on him next. Wil blinked at the whole exchange and glanced at Sain. "Did Serra just ground Ayde?" he asked, looking for confirmation. That sent the cavalier into fits of laughter. Florina, who had been hovering worriedly near Adelessa, surprised them with a giggle at Wil's dumbfounded question.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Lyn asked her friend. She didn't look entirely convinced when Adelessa nodded, but she let the topic drop. "It seems to be best if you just humor Serra."

The tactician laughed slightly. "I'm afraid I've already learned that. At least she takes her job seriously sometimes."

Sain sidled up on the other side of Lyn. His eyes were still dancing with the laughter he and Wil had shared, but it was tempered as he addressed them. "The weather looks like it's turning for the worst," he told Lyn. "Springtime in Lycia brings foul winds and worse storms. At least it seems like it will just be a bad fog."

"That's still not good." Kent's level voice echoed what Adelessa thought. "If the fog thickens, we'll be blind in a fight. If we can't see what we're fighting…."

"Should we stop until the weather clears?" Lyn asked.

Adelessa answered instead of either of the knights. "We shouldn't – delaying will only hurt us in the long run." _And __it __will __lessen __your __time __with __your __grandfather,__ if __he __has __any __left._ "We have to keep going – perhaps the fog will help obscure our movements from the enemy." Adelessa wouldn't bet on that hope: the way their luck had been shaping up made her doubt it. "Kent, Sain, what's the fastest way to the castle?"

"Let me think." Kent thought for a long moment, adjusting his position on his horse like it was second nature to him. Adelessa was starting to learn that ease on horseback, but was still far from that level of adeptness. "Our best path is to the south. However…." At Adelessa's nod to explain, he started again with, "However, it runs through General Eagler's estate."

"General Eagler?" Lyn asked. "Who is that?"

"He used to be our captain," Kent explained. "When Sain and I first became knights, he was our teacher and the officer in charge. He was promoted to lead a fair portion of the military assets of Caelin, the last I heard."

"General Eagler was strict but fair." A sheepish grin came with Sain's reminiscing. "I probably wouldn't have made it this far – or even have become a full knight – without him to help guide me. He's fiercely loyal to the marquess – not necessarily to Lord Hausen, but Marquess Caelin."

_That __could __be__… __unpleasant. __Especially __if __he__ decided __to __believe __and __side __with __Lundgren,_ Adelessa thought. She tried to ignore the sensation of worry coiling in her stomach. "How soon will it be before we enter his estate?"

"We should be entering it at any moment. He has a fairly large estate and a small fortress to boot – if we're lucky, he won't see us." Kent didn't need to add that, if the general or any of his men _did_ notice their presence, there would be a battle. Their portion of the group fell silent as they moved along the road; while Wil and Matthew bantered behind them, being in the lead meant that they would have the first glimpse of trouble if it arose.

They had just passed a small cluster of houses – barely enough to be considered a village – when Adelessa squinted. She threw up a hand to keep the sun out of her eyes. It took her a long moment to realize that she was at the wrong angle to have its rays blind her. Dropping her hand, she noticed rhythmic flashes of light up on one of the large, craggy hills that was apparently common to this area. "Kent, Sain," she called, not looking away from where she'd spotted the light, "I think we might have trouble soon."

"Hm? What's wrong, Aydie?" Kent urged his mount forward to stand next to her.

"That weather didn't roll in quickly enough – I thought I saw someone using a mirror as a signal. There!" Her finger jabbed the air as she pointed toward where the flash lit again. She heard Kent murmur something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like an expletive. "You saw it too?"

"I did," he said grimly. "Sain! Tell everyone to get to combat readiness!" His brother cavalier dashed off to the rest of the group to warn them. "We really didn't need this now."

"I know, but somehow I don't think they're going to give us a choice in the matter," Adelessa replied. Tugging back gently on the reins made her mare back up as the brunette stared up at the flickering flash of light. It transfixed her attention for a long moment. _Why __does __everything__ I __try __to __do __end __up __sabotaged__ like __this?_ she wondered, unable to tear her eyes away. _Nothing__ seems__ to__ be__ going__ right,__ except__ for__ Eliwood__'__s__ news._

Her mare turned unexpectedly and the change of her line of sight – and the shock of nearly spilling from the saddle – broke her out of the pseudo-trance she was in. Adelessa grabbed the black mane in front of her to keep her seat. Still startled, she blinked and focused on the person who'd pulled Rea's head around to snap her out of it.

Sain rested a hand against her forehead. "Are you feeling alright, Aydie? You were acting off this morning," he observed. "Well, you don't have a fever – come on, we need to hurry. We'll keep you with Ninian, Nils, and Serra-"

"Sain, I'm fine!" she protested finally. "I was just startled, that's all. I need to direct the battle when the enemy troops catch up to us." She plucked his hand off of her forehead and shook her head. "I have to be with the front of the group." Spurring her horse forward to catch up to the front of the group, Adelessa hoped that Sain would let it drop; she didn't want to argue about this.

It didn't seem like she would be that lucky. "Serra said nothing strenuous, remember?" Sain pointed out. "Getting in a fight isn't usually considered taking it easy." His horse trotted to catch up to her; Adelessa chose not to go faster herself to avoid pulling her stitches.

"Then I won't get in a fight with anyone," she replied stubbornly. She knew it wasn't that simple – even just the battles she'd been in this far on the journey had taught her that – but she refused to give in to his demands in a moment of pride. _I__ can __take __care __of __myself, __thank__ you _very _much!_ "You're not going to change my mind, Sain." Joining up with the rest of the group silenced both of them and Adelessa simmered silently after Sain peeled off to join Kent in protecting Lyn.

The grim atmosphere and the weapons obviously at hand put her on edge. Knowing that the soldiers on the estate were always watching and that they could attack at any moment didn't help her any, either. Add to that the fog that started to creep into the distance, making the further reaches hazy and indistinct, and she was like as not to jump out of her skin at the slightest provocation.

Turning to one side, Adelessa could look over the group. Rath was the closest to her and had his bow out; she had a brief pang of envy for his ability to steer his horse with only his knees. Nils and Ninian huddled together on Lyn's horse. Dorcas led their horse and the siblings seemed to get a measure of comfort from his quiet presence – even if he did, as Adelessa could see, have knuckles white from gripping his axe so tightly. Even Wil in his seemingly infinite cheerfulness and Lucius with his ever-present calm were antsy and ill at ease. Wil had an arrow drawn and held his bow so he could fire at a moment's notice. Lucius gripped a tome tightly in the crook of his arm and stayed close to Serra, who was putting on a brave face for the sake of appearance. Erk flanked her other side and mirrored Lucius' posture.

A light touch on her opposite knee made her jump in surprise. She looked down and saw Matthew. Absent in his expression was the measuring not-quite-hostility that he reserved for her and her alone. _What __did __I__ ever __do __to __you __to __make __you __dislike __me __so __much? _she wondered, not for the first time. _You__ don__'__t __seem__ to __like __Serra __that __much __and __you __still __treat __her __with __more __warmth__ than __this._ "Aydie, put me in the lead, please," he requested, breaking into her thoughts. "You know that we… well, fine, _thieves_, if you must," he said with no small amount of chagrin, "can see through fog better than anyone else. You'll need that edge in this fight to help you know enemy movements." His voice was deadly serious when he finished speaking and pinned Adelessa's gaze with his own.

"I _will_ need it." It was especially difficult to admit to Matthew that she needed help – her conversation with Lucius earlier was _entirely __different_. That he was speaking to her seriously and not making fun of her instead helped, as did his respectful tone, enough to make the admission possible in the first place. It was strange coming from him, but she wouldn't complain about this welcome change of pace. "If you could stay near me – I'll be in the front anyways – I'd much appreciate hearing what you see."

"Alright!" The thief brightened and dashed forward. "Aydie's put me on point – follow me, everyone!"

Adelessa shook her head. _Well, __at __least__ he__'__s __happy __about __the __change __of__ pace,_ she thought, bemused. _Or __something._

The group hadn't been on the move for more than a few minutes when Matthew stopped short. He waved his hands behind his back first slowly, then frantically, backing up rapidly. Adelessa stopped and pulled Rea off to the side of the group so she could retreat and squinted into the settling fog. What she saw – what had made Matthew backpedal so quickly – froze her blood in her veins.

A man lumbered forward slowly. The only reason she hadn't heard him coming – his heavy, full-plate armor was noisy enough that she would have had no problem picking up its rattle normally – was because of the fog dampening all sound. His armor gleamed even in the weak light, just like the plate of his bald head, and bore the proud emblem of House Caelin. _He__ must __be __at __least __seven __feet __tall!_ part of Adelessa's mind cried; if she was standing, she had no doubt that he would loom head and shoulders well above her. The logical part of her mind tried to judge his height but, without anyone near him, she could only determine that he was well over six feet tall. He was broad and muscular, as intimidating as the lance he held.

"So you've come," he rumbled, staring down at the group. His bass voice freed her to move and she wheeled her mare around to get to Lyn's side. Matthew met her there as she slid out of the saddle; the last thing she wanted was to be stuck on horseback in a fight.

Kent and Sain rode forward to put themselves between the huge man and Lyn – and, incidentally, the rest of the group. Sain bolted up straight and stared at the man when he got close. Kent was a little more vocal. "You!" he exclaimed, lowering his sword. "You're… Lord Wallace!"

Adelessa followed Lyn when the swordswoman edged forward to stand a little closer to Kent. When she was close enough to speak without the larger man overhearing, she asked, "Kent, who is this?"

"He used to be the commander of the knights of Caelin," Kent replied quietly, not taking his eyes off of Wallace. "Sain and I served under him."

"Aren't you supposed to be retired?" Sain was asking, looking no small amount of confused. "I heard you were sowing fields now."

"I am," Wallace answered genially, "and I was. But then I got orders from Lord Lundgren." Adelessa's stomach lurched at the title that he attached to Lundgren's name. _Don__'__t__ be__ allied__ with__ him,__ please._ "I was told to capture an imposter and a pair of rogue knights." Her hopes blew up into a thousand little pieces at that declaration and she tensed, expecting a fight to break out at any second.

The knights seemed to share her fear and both reached for their weapons again. "Lord Wallace," Kent pleaded, "surely you don't believe us to be traitors and oathbreakers, do you? We're nothing of the sort!"

Wallace was unmoved by his plea. "Bring me the girl that claims to be Lady Madelyn's child."

"What do you plan to do if we do?" Sain challenged, his voice sharp. He moved his horse to block Wallace from Lyn even more and bristled when the larger man took a step forward.

"If I don't like what I see," he answered, his voice matter-of-fact and without malice, "I will take her."

"We _will_ prevent you." Kent moved to mirror Sain.

Wallace stared at them for a moment, obviously taken aback. "You? Prevent me? You two must be crazy – you know very well-"

"_Enough!_" Adelessa jumped when Lyn spoke up. She hurried after the young woman when Lyn pushed between Kent and Sain to walk up to Wallace. "I'm right here! I am Lyndis."

"Milady-" Kent started, but she silenced him with a look and a quick shake of her head.

"I'll understand if you don't believe me," she told Wallace, raising her chin proudly. Her stance was one of absolute confidence and fearlessness – something that Adelessa _definitely_ wasn't feeling. _Please,__ oh __please, __oh__ please, __don__'__t __let __this __end __badly,_ she prayed to Elimine and the spirits both. Lyn gazed right back at Wallace as he studied her. "I've had just about enough of all this posturing from all of you!"

Adelessa swore that she could have heard a pin drop in the stillness that followed. Lyn and Wallace continued studying each other for that moment that stretched out. Kent and Sain hesitated, torn between snatching Lyn back and away to safety and allowing her to prove herself to be who she claimed. The group waited breathlessly behind them.

"Hm." Wallace's thoughtful hum finally broke the scene. "You have such beautiful eyes."

"Pardon?"

"I've been a knight for thirty years," Wallace told her in response to her obvious confusion, "and I've learned many things. One of them is that a person with such bright eyes – ones so clear that you can see the truth – is no liar." A belly laugh rolled from him and startled everyone: Kent and Sain looked nonplussed and Lyn just stared at Wallace while he roared with laughter. When he finished, he clapped a hand on her shoulder; Adelessa saw her knees nearly buckle under its force. "Ah, yes," he said, grinning widely. "I like you, girl – I mean, my lady Lyndis! Why, I think I'll even join your little band here!"

Sain gaped like a fish. "Are you…" he started, then fumbled with his voice in surprise. "Are you _serious?_"

"This old bull's pledged his loyalty to Caelin!" Wallace declared, thumping himself in the chest with his fist as he turned Lyn to face the rest of the group. "I would never allow a usurper on the throne, not on my watch!" He patted Lyn on the back – sending her sprawling forward – and laughed heartily again as he waded back along the path he came. "I must recover my equipment, but then we shall march!"

The group stared, befuddled, at this most recent turn of events. "He… He hasn't changed at all," Kent said finally, a smile dawning on his face.

Sain whooped and pumped his fist in the air. "With the Bull of Caelin on our side, we can't help but win!" he crowed, grinning widely enough that it threatened to swallow his ears.

"I like him," Lyn added. "He's… honest."

"That he is," Kent agreed. "He deserves our respect."

"I'll agree with that in a heartbeat," Adelessa said finally, watching Wallace heft up a sword that was left in its sheath leaning against a tree. He strapped it to his side and grabbed a pack that was hanging from a branch. "I can see how he would have commanded all of the knights." She turned back to the group when she saw that he was returning.

She was surprised, amused, and alarmed when both of the cavaliers winced. "You don't know the half of it," Sain groaned.

"I recall him not being that bad – as long as you didn't horse around all the time," Kent said mildly. Sain colored at that and scowled at the not-quite-smug smile that Kent gave a laughing Lyn.

"I'd planned on living in peace on my farm, enjoying my retirement… Ah, well, the young will be the young and get into their scuffles. I do wish you'd be able to take care of your own messes, though I suppose Lundgren is of my own generation." Kent and Sain had the grace to look sheepish at Wallace's words as he rejoined the group, but he waved off any of their apologies before they could voice them and focused on Adelessa, who was standing next to Lyn. "Now, then, who are you?" Wallace's voice rumbled over Adelessa and she had to crane her head back to meet his gaze. She must have had a question on her face as she did so because he said, "Yes, you, girl."

"I'm Aydie, sir – ah, Lord Wallace," she corrected hastily. "I'm the tactician for the group. I've been with Lyn – Lady Lyndis since before we left Sacae."

"It's good to meet you, Aydie – may your orders be effective and our enemies not so." Another booming laugh rolled from him; it was intimidating enough that she wasn't sure if she should join in or hide behind the other knights.

Matthew saved her from having to decide as he sidled up next to her. "I saw movement from the northeast near the cliff, but on the ground, and from the southeast in that little stand of trees," he murmured lowly. It was pitched so that only she could hear it, keeping their knowledge of the enemy's movements from anyone else's notice. "Orders?"

"Kent, Sain, Lyn, could you come here for a moment, please?" she asked in response, raising her voice. Wallace came with them; apparently he'd decided to attach himself to Lyn's side just like the other two knights. _Though __somehow __I__ think __he__'__ll __have __a__ hard __time __keeping __up__ on __foot __in __all __that __armor,_ she thought to herself, _but__ I __won__'__t __bet __against __him. __The __Bull __of __Caelin __indeed._ "We've spotted some people lurking nearby. We think a fight's going to break out soon. Sain, could you _inconspicuously_ help get people get ready? Matthew might be willing to help you," she added, looking over at the thief.

Matthew nodded. "Sure. But then I'll be coming right back."

"That's fine – more than fine, actually. I'd like the help." Both the cavalier and the thief slipped away to inform the rest of the group as to the impending battle. "Kent, I want you to go warn that village about the fight. They were kind enough to give us directions around here and I don't want them suffering just in case the fighting gets out of hand." Kent hesitated, glancing at Lyn and how Wallace was looming nearby, and nodded.

"I'll do so."

"Thank you. Wallace, could you guard Lyn for now until they come back? I know it would put Kent's mind more at ease."

"Bah! I was planning on doing that anyway!" Wallace propped his fists on his hips and chuckled. "Get out of here, boy – you know I won't let anyone so much as look at her too hard while I'm around!" Now properly chastised, Kent wasted no time in hurrying off to get to the village.

Adelessa nodded to herself. _There. __I__'__ve __done __what __I __can __to __prepare __us,_ she thought, satisfied. _Now__ it__'__s __time __to __wait._ She remembered being told that war was long stretches of boredom and anticipation waiting interspersed with frantic moments of violence. It was becoming readily apparent to her that the saying was true.

"They're moving in." Matthew's whisper didn't startle her as much this time. "Sain and I acted as normal as possible, but perhaps they noticed our actions anyways. Everyone's ready for battle, so it's only a matter of when we choose to engage them."

If Adelessa squinted and stared hard into the fog, she could see slight motions of what she assumed to be enemy troops. She could feel her mouth tuck down into a grim frown and she nodded. "Good. Then…" Looking over, she saw Wallace was watching her. "Lord Wallace, you're familiar with the area. Do you have any recommendations for how we should proceed through the estate?"

"The fastest way off of General Eagler's estate – and the only feasible way for us if we want to make it to Castle Caelin in any amount of time – would be to cut through the southeast and pass his fortress. Unfortunately, he's in and expecting you to pass that way. It's likely that most of his forces are spread through the nearby forest and will be prepared to intercept us."

"What kind of forces? Does he have any ballistae?"

"No – he has cavaliers and foot soldiers, but that's all. It's a great enough force that we shouldn't dawdle in the area, _but,_" he added, "most of them won't be on this path." Wallace grinned. "He only had a few reinforcements for me on this path. There hasn't been enough time for him to pull troops from elsewhere, so if we make haste there should be no problems making it out of here."

"That's the best news I've heard all day," Adelessa said, nodding rapidly to herself. "Then we'll go with that strategy. Wallace, would you mind leading the group while Lyn, Matthew, Sain, and I follow behind you? Don't worry about defeating every enemy nearby: we'll pick off any opponents that get past you. We just need you to forge ahead and make us a path."

"I'd be more than happy to." Wallace stood tall and readied his lance, roaring out a laugh. He started down the path and Adelessa motioned for Matthew and Lyn to follow him as she hurried to the rest of the group to catch them up with the plan. Explaining the gist of their strategy to the rest of them, they were able to start after him quickly.

Kent returned as she was walking briskly back to the forward party – Serra had scolded her heatedly when she had jogged to spread the news. "Aydie, the local folk gave us these torches and wished us well," he said. "Commoners are supporting Lady Lyndis as the proper heir and don't believe what Lord Lundgren is saying. They can't give military support, but they are willing to help give us supplies."

"Torches – good. Light one and have… have Erk hold on to it for now. That will help with the fog and then the back of the group will have visibility to watch for any enemies coming up on us from behind." Adelessa nodded with her assessment even as Kent rode away. _Yes. __That __will __work __for __now._

The sound of metal clashing against metal made her disregard Serra's earlier scolding and run for the forward group. She heard Wallace before she could see what was going on; true to form, he was laughing. "Look! A giant walks among you – I am Lord Wallace, the Bull of Caelin! My defense is impenetrable – come," he challenged boldly, swinging his lance in a defensive sweep that threw several opponents away from him, "and break your weapons against me!"

_No__ need __to __worry __there,_ she realized. Lyn and Sain had no trouble dispatching those few enemies that managed to survive Wallace's first charge. When Kent joined back up with them it went from being a battle to a bloodbath; Adelessa winced and looked away. _They__'__ve __certainly __got __that __under __control,_ she thought. Even though they were the ones attacking, Adelessa couldn't help but feel sorry for the Caelin soldiers. _You__'__re__ only __being __used __as __pawns __in __a __game__ of __power__ – __it__'__s __not __your __fault, __you __poor __souls._

That line of thought was cut short when she heard Serra shriek in alarm. "Get him, Erk! Get him!" she screamed shrilly even as her escort calmly shot off a fireball. Bandits had crawled down from the craggy hills; they were attacking the group, but between Rath, Lucius, and Erk, none of the bandits were anything approaching a major threat.

"Milady Aydie!" Her eyes darted to Ninian when the girl spoke out. "Danger – duck!"

If it had been anyone besides one of the two siblings, Adelessa might have stopped to look around and determine the nature of whatever was threatening her. That the warning came from Ninian was enough to cause her to immediately drop to the ground and tuck her limbs in tightly. An arrow screamed past where she had just been standing, a hit that, if not fatal, would have been crippling.

Adelessa rolled to one side and bounced back onto her feet. Adrenaline sang through her veins, slowing down time and making the details of the world crisp in her vision. "Thank you, Ninian!" she called even while she calculated the path of the arrow. She plotted it back to its archer, but he was cut down by a vicious slash from Lyn before he had the chance to fire again. Her side protested the motion, but she didn't see any blood when she glanced down at herself so she figured that she wasn't in too much danger.

Wallace was still carving his merry way through enemy soldiers – cavalier and foot soldier alike – with no apparent trouble. Lyn, Kent, and Sain followed right behind him, picking off any stragglers. Adelessa wondered where Matthew had disappeared when he seemed to all but materialize at her elbow. "General Eagler's fort is up ahead – we'll be passing by it shortly."

"Already?" She hadn't noticed when they had moved from the path through the hill near the cliffs to hurrying along the stretch of forest. _Keep __your __wits __about __you, __Adelessa!__ You __can__'__t __go __spacing __out__ like __that._ "Ah, I see it up ahead. Thank you, Matthew. Stick close, if you don't mind, just in case you see something that the rest of us miss."

"Sure – anything for you, Aydie." He winked. "Does this mean you'll let me ransack the next treasure room we cross?" He turned his best roguish grin on her.

"I'll think about it," she told him, smiling despite herself. "There aren't any here, though, so you'll have to wait."

"Deal!" He flicked his cloak so it hid his torso again and kept pace with her. If she moved slower than he wanted to go, he didn't mention it. Because of their relative ease of travel – there were no enemies left to slow them down after the front group pushed through – and that same factor slowing down those in front of them, the two quickly caught up with the forward group. The rest of Lyndis' Legion was gaining ground as well, having taken care of the rest of the enemies.

They had to stop when they came to the last turn in the road. Instead of a cluster of fighters in a roadblock, there was only a single foe waiting for them. He held himself tall and proud, holding his lance and wearing armor not unlike Wallace's. "No quarter to traitors," he announced; cutting black eyes focused on Kent, Sain, and Wallace in turn. "Bring out the imposter who calls herself 'Lyndis' – she shall not pass beyond this place!"

"I _am_ Lyndis and I'm not an imposter," Lyn retorted. "I'd ask you to believe me like Lord Wallace did, but it's obvious that you've already made up your mind on this matter. These three can all vouch for me."

"Three that I could hardly believe would turn traitor." Kent winced when those cold black eyes focused on him. "But ambition can do strange things to those one would think are incorruptible." Sain cringed a little; though it looked like he wanted to say something, Eagler dismissed him and turned his attention to Wallace, who stared back impassively. "Even General Wallace has been taken into this lie."

"I fight for Caelin's honor," Wallace replied. There was almost a sad note in his voice, Adelessa noted, as if he had hoped that Eagler would see the error of his ways. "I fight for honor, not Lundgren's lies."

"Ah… Is that so? You are-" Eagler's voice stopped, but not before she could hear the longing note in it. "Enough! There's nothing more to be said." He held his lance in a ready position. "Come! Do your worst!"

Adelessa's heart broke a little when she saw the look that Kent and Sain gave each other. They slowly readied their own lances and spurred their horses forward. Eagler couldn't fend off both of their attacks; while Sain was hit and nearly fell out of his saddle, clutching his shoulder, he was much better off than their former superior. He had wounds on both sides of his torso that wept blood.

Despite that, Eagler refused to surrender, instead attacking Lyn in a last-ditch gamble. She lunged to one side and rolled away from his attack, leaving it only to draw a shallow crimson line – one that barely bled – from shoulder to opposite hip across her back. Springing back up to her feet, Lyn darted inside of his range. At that distance he couldn't hope to counterattack with his lance. Her katana slid home with a strike that sank deep into his chest, puncturing a lung.

Kent ran forward to support the general when he slumped to his knees. His eyes roved over the group until they lit upon Lyn again. Expecting curses to froth from his lips, Adelessa was surprised by his words. "Go… go quickly," he gasped. A strangled cry of pain clawed out of him as blood burst from his lips. "The marquess… doesn't know that you still live. His life is… there's no illness. Only poison. Please… for the marquess…." Lyn knelt next to him and took his gauntleted hand. "No, for all… of Caelin…" Eagler closed his eyes; a weary sob wrenched out of him. "Save… my son."

Adelessa leaned forward to close his eyes when his life left him. Lyn laid him down on the ground, pain clear in her eyes. She turned into Adelessa when she gave her a tentative hug. "What kind of man was Eagler?" she asked, her voice thick with tears.

Kent took a long moment to answer. Even when he did, the words were heavy and slow with sadness. "When Sain and I first became knights, he was our captain, our- our teacher." His face was tight and pinched with grief. It was quiet for several minutes while they thought.

"I think he knew that… that we were telling the truth," Lyn said after a moment, breaking out of Adelessa's hug. She let her go. "Why would he force the fight and throw away his life?"

"You heard him," she spoke up. Lyn looked over at Adelessa. "Lundgren likely has his son captive and had a hold over him that way. It's a terrible, sneaky, underhanded thing to do." She felt anger simmer deep within her under the layers of determination and worry that all of this had created and knew her green eyes were likely aflame with it. "But that's the kind of person we're dealing with here. Only a coward like that would use poison and hold hostages."

Lyn's lips were an angry line in her face. "May he _never _know the peaceful embrace of Mother Earth!" she spat, invoking one of the most vehement curses of the Sacaeans. "If nothing else in my life, I will stop that man from ruining the lives of all the people around him! His touch is poison and he deserves to die." Her knuckles were white as she clenched her hand around the hilt of the Mani Katti.

"And he will – now that we're through General Eagler's estate, there is only a short trip to Castle Caelin," Sain said. His eyes were bright with the same furor that Lyn felt: to bring to justice a killer who possessed no remorse.

"I'll check to be sure that no one is badly injured," Kent said. While his voice sounded calm, it was obvious looking at him that he felt anything but. His back was stiff, more so than his normal bearing of duty gave. "Then we can ride for the castle."

Adelessa drifted off with those who were well and volunteered with her to take care of the dead; Lucius performed the rites for the Caelin soldiers who had been killed, starting with Eagler, and Adelessa and several others from the group worked to dig graves for them.

While she dug and remembered those against whom they had fought, Adelessa's mind churned through rapidly-whirling thoughts. _Now __we__'__re__ almost __to __the __end__ – __we__'__ll __have __to __plan__t his __upcoming __assault __carefully, __but __with__ the __addition __of __Lord __Wallace __we __should __be __able __to __pull __this __off. __Then __perhaps __I__ will __go __to __Ostia __with __Serra __and__ Erk__… __no, __I __should __head __back __to __Etruria __as __quickly __as __possible __to __make __sure __I__ get __back __in __time__ for __the__ test._

She glanced up and saw that Matthew was watching her struggle with a shovel as she dug a hole alongside Dorcas. _We__ worked __well __together __today. __I __think __we __would __any__ other __time, __too.__Well,_ she amended, seeing a curious glint in Matthew's eye, _any__ time __when __he__ doesn__'__t __seem__ to __hate __me._ She briefly ran through their interactions to try to figure out what she'd done that could have made him so distrustful of her and couldn't think of a single thing. _Once __this __is __done, __he__'__ll __be__ free__ of __me, __regardless __of __how __he __feels __about __how __I __do__ things. __We__ just __have __to __make __it __to __that __point __and __then __you __can __say __farewell __to __me__ forever, __Matthew._

Willing her mind to quiet, Adelessa focused on nothing more than the hard work of laying their opponents to rest.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Thanks as always to my wonderful reviewers! **Tom-Ato13, AquaticSilver, Raven the Blood witch, MilleniaMaster, **and **KuroOokami4** – I can only rephrase "thank you" so many times, but I mean it SO MUCH each time. Seriously, you guys make me so happy with each review! 3

Wallace! You have SO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS! And you're fun to write. :D Gotta love characters like that! Also, Aydie, you don't know how wrong you are. Sorry, but you don't get to get rid of any of these people – they'll turn up again just like a bad penny! XD

And wow, guys. This was a loooong chapter, but I couldn't find a good place to break it into two parts, so I decided to give it all to you in one lump. :3 Now you can't say I don't do nice things for you. ;3

There's the last chapter of Lyn's story next week, and then a shorter "Intermission" chapter after that, and then we'll be off to Eliwood/Hector's tales! I'm going to try to do a hybrid of the two (though this could be interesting because my script of the game is only for Eliwood's tale and cuts off right around Ch. 24). I'm in the process of playing through Hector's tale and typing up the script myself right now, but if any of you have access to a full script of the game for either or both stories and could shoot it my way (either by email or linking it in a PM or review or something), you would have my eternal gratitude and I'd be able to crank chapters out even faster! :D

Speaking of cranking out chapters, I recently had a question as to why I don't update this fic more often. (I wasn't aware once a week was slow!) Well, there're several reasons for that and I'll lay them out here quick if you care to know. First, I'm a college student who has an internship. This means I'm either working 40 hours a week or going through pretty darned rigorous engineering classes. This, unfortunately, means I don't have oodles and oodles of writing time. Secondly, I update once a week because it's nice and steady. It's harder for me to forget to update if I do it the same time every week! And I'm sure it's a little easier for you guys to keep up that way, too. Thirdly, while I _do_ tend to have a few extra chapters written than are posted, I do that so I can have a buffer if I get saddled with three large projects at school or NaNoWriMo happens and can still properly update. Especially since I've got another writing project (non-FE fanfic) in the wings that I'm contemplating and would be running concurrently to this one. _)))

Anywho! Enough rambling from me. Have a wonderful weekend and week and I'll be back with a fresh new chapter next week.

Toodles~!


	13. The Distant Plains

The Distant Plains

Morning dawned slowly. Thick, fluffy, towering clouds drifted lazily across the sky, tinged yellow and orange with the eager first rays of sunlight. Small patches of pink sky peeked through the clouds, lending a rosy tint to any light that fell to the ground. It was early enough that only a few birds had warbled their morning song. The modest camp that nestled on the outer fringe of the forest was near-silent: very few people were up at this mark.

Adelessa was glad for that fact. She liked the quiet mornings, the chance to watch the sun rise without the sound of Serra scolding someone – usually poor Erk, occasionally Matthew – or Sain flirting with her, or Wil being more cheerful than any one person had the right to be, or Florina seeking reassurances…. Sometimes it was nice just to be alone and quiet and try to cultivate peace in solitude.

Oddly enough, she didn't feel the same asphyxiating anxiety that had been haunting her recently. In its place was numbness, a lack of that drive that had brought her more sleepless nights and frantic days than her university studying could ever hope to match. It wasn't quite peace, but it was closer to it than she'd had since entering Bern. It was an alien sensation, one that was a shock after all the worrying she had been doing. _I__ don__'__t __know__ if __I__ should __be __more __relieved__ or __concerned __over __this,_ she thought. That was bemusing enough that she almost laughed about it.

_I__ suppose __it__'__s __because__ I__'__ve __prepared __and __done __all __that __I__ can __to __make __sure __that __this __will __be__ a __success._ She'd grilled Kent and Sain both about the approach to the castle to know how to best approach it: the craggy hills and rivers in the area would throw twists in their strategy, but she could plan for that. The entire group was capable and ready for this fight. _And __with __how __I __feel __now, __I __must __be __as __well._

Stretching luxuriously for a moment, Adelessa decided that she'd stop questioning the weight that had been lifted off of her shoulders and instead enjoy the lack of stress for the moment. Soon Wil would be up, which meant that breakfast would get started shortly after he woke up. He was always up with the sun instead of just before it, like her, so she usually had to wait a bit before she could help him. Deciding to head back – perhaps she could get the fire started or something else while she waited – she returned to the camp.

Even as Lyndis' Legion started to wake up and prepare for the day – and the battle ahead of them – it was hushed, subdued. The normal chatter that surrounded the fire was only a low murmur. Wil and Sain were both as lively – and loud – as they were normally, but the rest of the group seemed diminished. _I__ wonder __if __they __feel __how __I __do?_ Adelessa wondered, picking at her food as she watched them.

"Well," Sain said brightly, "at least there's good news. Today we should be getting to Castle Caelin, so our journey's finally over."

"Is there any particular news that you've heard from the townspeople?" Adelessa asked. _Like __if __the __marquess __has __passed__ away __or __not__…__._

"Nothing besides that even here – maybe especially here – they're supporting us. Apparently Lundgren's been making their lives miserable ever since he got the brilliant idea to usurp the throne." Sain scowled deeply when he spoke of the instigator of this entire mess. "Lord Hausen has always been the favored of the two by the people – he's fair and kind, if sometimes distant. That's why no one noticed Lundgren's actions until recently."

Adelessa found that she wasn't terribly hungry. "Ah. That's good that we have their support, at least." Standing, she brushed a few crumbs off of her over-tunic. "We should probably head out soon if we want to make it there before any weather rolls in." The clouds had become even darker and thicker since she had first gazed at them: there were no patches of sky or sunlight that managed to squeeze through to them. There were a few dappled patches well off in the distance that she could see from their camp's vantage point near the top of one of the craggy hills, but they were in the opposite direction that they would be traveling.

"That wouldn't be a bad idea," Kent agreed. He had been ready to leave for some time already. _I__'__m __glad__ that __we __don__'__t __have __much __that __we__'__re __carrying __around. __It __makes __it __easier __to __get __on __the __move__ again __without __having __to __pack __up._ "Once we're over this hill, we should be able to see the castle. At its base is the start of the town surrounding the castle."

"We'll be there soon," Lyn murmured. It wasn't quite a question, but Kent nodded anyways.

"All that stands between us and the castle is this one last battle." Adelessa's voice was quiet but level. Every eye turned to her. "Everything rests on it. We won't lose – we can't, not for the sake of all the people Lundgren tramples over, for General Eagler, for your grandfather. We _will_ win this fight. For this one last time, I'd like to ask that you lend me your strength." The formal request felt strange after all the time that she had spent with the group and all the battles that they had fought, but it also felt like the right thing to do. They had all volunteered or gotten swept into this mess, after all, and it wouldn't be fair to just assume that all of them would want to keep fighting.

"Jeez, who do you think you're talking to, Aydie?" Wil asked. His bright grin lifted her spirit. "Of course we'll help – after all, it's you who's been doing the most work and helping us out so far. We couldn't imagine quitting now!"

"You still owe me treasure," Matthew piped up, grinning. "I'm not leaving until you make good on that."

"We intended to see this all the way through. We want to see Lady Lyndis succeed in this as much as you do," Dorcas said. Adelessa looked to him for surprise – that was the most words she'd heard him string together at once since she met him. "I will fight for both of you. I imagine that the rest of Lyndis' Legion will do the same."

Looking around the group, Adelessa had the chance to meet the eyes of each group member. Their steady gazes and assurances – from Rath's small, silent nod through Lucius' gracious smile to Serra's, "What, you'd think I'd leave this half done? Please, Aydie!" – touched her just as surely as they must have warmed Lyn's heart. These people had gone from being just a group with whom she fought and traveled to being almost as close as family for her. A hot prickle at the corners of her eyes reminded her that she needed to get a grip – she couldn't just start bawling!

"Thank you," she told them quietly, but her voice carried all of the emotion of the moment that couldn't be put into words. "_Thank_ you, all of you. This… it means a lot to me," she finished lamely, unable to properly express herself.

When Lyn walked over to stand next to her, she was slightly surprised. She went from surprised to stunned, though, was when Lyn bowed deeply to the assembled group, her long green ponytail falling over one shoulder. "And I thank you as well. Without the help that each of you have given me – you too, Aydie – I wouldn't have been able to make it this far." Lyn straightened and Adelessa could see the fire of determination that burned underneath the otherwise calm eyes. "Only a short distance stands between us and our goal. Let's get going!"

"Lundgren won't be getting any reinforcements like he expected," Sain noted. "If I were him, I'd strike against us with everything I had once we get close to the castle." He was fiercely excited, his posture aggressive even just thinking about the upcoming fight. "Oh, this will be great. I hope I can land at least one hit against that lout."

"Just be careful," Kent cautioned. "Don't fight just to strike him. He's a worthy fighter in his own way and shouldn't be underestimated." Sain earned a scathing look when he scoffed at Kent's advice.

"He may be a fighter, but I'm not afraid," Lyn said coolly; Adelessa shivered a bit at the ice in her eyes. "Let him come – let them all come! I won't be turned aside, not now, not after so much! I _will_ see my grandfather and I _won__'__t_ let anyone stop me."

"That's the spirit, milady!" Sain cheered, grinning down at where she walked between him and Kent. Serra had insisted that Adelessa stay up on her horse and not walk; while her wound had made progress healing, it wasn't back to normal yet by any stretch of the imagination. Because of this, Ninian and Nils still borrowed Lyn's horse.

"Milady Aydie?" Ninian's soft voice drew Adelessa's attention. The girl was staring at her with round red eyes, obviously wanting to ask her something. She fell back so they could more easily speak to each other.

"You don't have to add 'milady' to my name, Ninian," Adelessa reminded her. Ever since they met, the cyan-haired girl had called her such. Every time she tried to get Ninian to just use her name, but she seemed to insist on adding the honorific. "Is there something that you need?"

"I just wanted… wanted to make sure you're alright." When Adelessa tilted her head in confusion, Ninian explained, "You've been unusually quiet. Normally you talk at breakfast – and eat more – and I just wanted to make sure that you're alright. My apologies if I'm too forward."

"Oh, no – I'm feeling fine." Ninian seemed heartened when Adelessa gave her a bright, genuine smile. "Don't worry about it. It's just a case of…" Adelessa searched for a good word to use. "… of nerves, that's all. I'm sorry that I worried you."

"It's alright!" Ninian gave her a shy smile. It made a noticeable difference on the normally solemn girl's face. "It's just that you're always worried about us. Sometimes that means you don't worry enough about yourself."

That made Adelessa sit back in her saddle a little bit. Ninian returned her attention to a quiet conversation with her brother as Adelessa urged Rea forward so she could be at the front of the group with Kent and Sain. _I__ don__'__t __worry __enough __about __myself, __huh?__ That__'__s __an __interesting __way __of __putting __it__ – __interesting __and__ accurate. __I __wonder __if __Ninian __knows __how__ insightful __she __can __be._ Shrugging away that thought, Adelessa joined Sain, Kent, and Lyn at the front of the group just as they crested the last rise.

She couldn't help but be impressed. Rolling viridian hills were speckled with herds of sheep and cows. Stretches of loamy earth colored flat reaches of land with their dark brown; stalks stood and waved in the breeze. Small cottages made up modest villages; these thickened and eventually clustered together to form a loosely packed city that was cut in five main pieces by an intricate river system. Placed squarely in the middle was Castle Caelin, a modest but impressive castle with elegantly simple towers. The crest that Adelessa had seen so often recently was likely on the flag that flapped in the breeze; from this distance she couldn't properly make it out.

The only thing that could have made the scene more idyllic would have been if the sun had been shining brightly. As it was currently, however, the fluffy clouds from dawn had turned into looming storm clouds, dark and heavy with rain. The few patches of sunlight out in the distance looked like they were quickly closing up. _I __hope __that__'__s __not __an __omen. __Tsk! _She shook her head to get rid of that thought. _Adelessa,__ you__ shouldn__'__t__ be__ that__ superstitious.__ As__ long__ as __we__'__re__ careful,__ this__ should__ play__ out__ in__ our__ favor,__ rain__ or__ none._

"So that's Castle Caelin…" Lyn mused, looking out over the landscape before them.

"Indeed it is, milady," Sain said. His voice was quiet and almost reverent. Adelessa realized he was probably almost as glad as Lyn to see the castle again, just like Kent: they had been away for months on their search for and escort of the woman who stood between them.

"This is your birthright," Kent added. Lyn tore her eyes away from the ground beneath them and looked over at the orange-haired knight. "Your mother was Lord Hausen's only child – his wife died young and he never remarried. As his only grandchild and direct descendant, you're the one who is to inherit all of this." He waved a hand, gesturing to everything around them.

"I knew that, but…. It's one thing to hear it," Lyn said, turning her eyes back to the castle in the distance, "and quite another to actually see it."

Once the rest of the group caught up to them – Kent, Sain, and Lyn had faster than the others up the hill, except for Rath who had been keeping his distance from the Caelin knights seemingly to enjoy his solitude – they started down the gradual slope. The countryside was cheerful despite the lack of sunlight, spring coaxing flowers to bud and flash brilliant colors in patches on the grass. The path ran next to a river that led straight into the city. It ran quickly, flooded with the melting snow that trickled down from the hills and mountains in the region. The tranquility lulled her into relaxing despite the looming fight.

That tranquility shattered quite some time later when she looked ahead and saw a mixed squad of lance-bearing soldiers, archers, and mages. "Kent, Sain-"

"We see them too," Kent replied grimly. "It was too much to hope that we would be able to limit the fighting to the castle." Sain and Wallace joined him in forming a protective shield around Lyn, the two cavaliers protecting her flanks while the general planted himself directly in front of her.

Adelessa quickly judged the distance from where the group waited and the squad that, this far, hadn't noticed them. The squad was on the far side of a loose group of trees, but Lyndis' Legion was bottlenecked at a narrow bridge that spanned one of the rivers that split Caelin into chunks. Taking a deep breath, Adelessa steadied her nerves so her voice would be level when she gave her orders.

"Sain, Kent – stay with Lyn. Florina and Rath, I'd like for you two to stay with them. If you can, sneak past this squad up here and take shelter somewhere. Lay low and wait for us, but don't engage the enemy here. Those of us on foot will come up from behind them while you continue on – there's a forest on the other side of that river, correct?" The enemy squad lay between them and the next bridge that they needed to cross – likely to guard it from their advance here.

"That's correct, Aydie," Kent affirmed with a sharp nod.

"Thank you. Try to make it to that forest and stay quiet in there. If you do that, we can probably follow you once we've made sure that the enemies here won't come around to hit our back when we continue forward. Do you think you can follow that plan?" When they nodded, Adelessa turned to the rest of the group. "Lucius, Erk, I'd like you to focus on the mages in the group. I know that light magic doesn't stand up well to anima spells, but it will be hard for anyone else to deal with them. You two are the most resistant to magic, being wielders of it yourself, so you'll have to keep them distracted until we can get a fighter in to neutralize that threat.

"I'd like the rest of you to take on anyone who isn't a mage. Pick your fights carefully – Dorcas, Wil, if they don't have a ranged weapon, try to take them on from a distance. Try to get in close to the archers and defeat them up close, where they can't properly fire at you. Matthew, I want you to focus on that, along with Dorcas – but only if you have a good hit. I don't want any of you getting hurt.

"Serra, Nils, Ninian – I know you all want to help, but I want you at the back of the group. I can't risk you near the fighting, not against these odds." Nils looked like he wanted to protest, but he abated when Ninian shook her head silently. "You'll be riding on my horse so Lyn can take hers back – and don't worry," Adelessa added to cut off Ninian's question before she asked it, "my side's healed all the way now. We took out the stitches yesterday." That wasn't entirely true; it was still angry and only partially healed over with skin instead of scabs, but it wasn't in danger of tearing open and causing a mess. And they _had_ taken out the stitches. It was good enough for her.

"What about me?" Wallace rumbled.

"Lord Wallace, I would like you to stay here with this group – I don't know if you'll be able to keep up with the group on horseback." Adelessa couldn't think of a tactful way to break it to him, so she decided to go with blunt. She had a feeling that that would be what he would prefer, anyways. "Sain and Kent have done a good job of keeping her safe so far. I have trust in them – and Rath and Florina – that they'll keep her safe. This way you can help us here so she'll have her backup faster, spend less time hiding, and will have less of a risk of having anyone find them." Wallace considered that for a long moment and Adelessa prayed that he would agree with her – they could really use his help against this squad of troops. When he nodded, she sighed with relief. "Thank you, General. Now-"

"Aydie, they've spotted us," Sain yelled over. The group burst into motion then: Dorcas helped Ninian to Adelessa's horse as she slid out of the saddle and Lyn leaped up into her own once Nils was off. With Florina floating above them – and making sure to stay out of the archer's range after Adelessa had stressed that point – and Rath behind them, Lyn and her knights took off. They were able to thunder past the squad before they could block the bridge; the dull sound of hooves racing over wood was enough to make Adelessa cheer quietly.

_Now__ for __the __hard __part,_ she thought. Just like she had hoped, the soldiers turned to pursue the one that their master had commanded them to kill. Only a couple of the soldiers thought to watch behind them as the rest of the squad scrambled to chase the horsemen over the bridge. Erk's fireball hit one of them square in the chest and he dropped, unmoving and charred, to the ground. The other staggered back into his comrades with one of Wil's arrows sprouting from his neck. He had enough life to gurgle a warning – several other soldiers spun in alarm – before her forces crashed into the squad from behind.

It was hardly a contest; the mages, concentrating on lobbing fireballs of their own at Lyn to stop her, never even knew what hit them when Matthew snuck up on them. In the middle of the group, Wallace barreled through the group, sowing confusion and disorganization as people found themselves bowled over by the Bull of Caelin. Dorcas felled his opponents with devastating blows from his axe. Wil rained arrows down in precise arcs to take out opponents further back. Lucius and Erk hung back, only slightly ahead of Serra, Nils, and Ninian, and worked grimly to finish off any enemies that thought they could attack any of four active fighters while they weren't paying attention.

The reek of burnt flesh and the coppery tang of blood was thick on Adelessa's tongue; she gave Serra a handkerchief when the cleric looked like she was going to be ill. "How can you get used to this?" she asked, her voice lower than usually and strained. It was muffled by the scrap of cloth as the pink-haired woman held it over her mouth and nose. Adelessa gave Ninian and Nils two other bits of cloth to save them from the stink and was rewarded with no small amount of relief from them.

"I haven't," Adelessa replied quietly. "I hate the smell, but I've learned to cope with it." Adelessa looked away from the bodies laying on the ground; she knew that she was the one who had sentenced their deaths and that she had to take responsibility, but that didn't mean that she liked looking upon such tragedy. _I__ swear__ – __I __swear __that __I__'__ll __stop __Lundgren! __No __one __should __have __to __die __in __the __power__ games __of __nobles __like __this. __They__'__re_ people_, __not __pawns._ The angry glint in her eyes must have warned Serra not to speak to her; the cleric didn't ask the question she had been about to voice and instead went to check on the fighters.

She blinked as a roll of thunder stopped her in mid-step. Adelessa looked up just in time for a fat drop of rain to fall straight into her eye. Hunching over and rubbing at her eyes, the tactician-in-training bit her tongue to keep from cursing. _And,__ of __course, __now__ the__ rain _would _start._ Cold rain first drizzled before it increased to pour in sheets on the group. It only took the minute for her to carefully jog over to the group – the grass was already slick with rain and she'd nearly slipped and fallen – to get soaked to the bone.

The combined advantages of attacking from behind and the element of surprise had kept the group from suffering any serious injuries. Dorcas had only suffered a blow to his arm that stopped bleeding and healed up as soon as Serra turned her attention to it. Wil was retrieving what arrows he could. Wallace didn't look like he had even been touched: his armor had deflected any punishment that had been thrown his way. Looking around, she found Matthew trotting back from the far side of the group, where the mages had been. A quick glance showed that he was unharmed.

"Alright, now to get across the bridge and find where the rest of them decided to hide," she announced. "Good work – is your arm fully healed, Dorcas?" He nodded silently, flexing the muscles to double-check that no permanent harm had been done to it. "Then we should go." Adelessa kept an eye out for any more enemy troops as they crossed over the bridge into a more populated part of town. It was slow-going thanks to the rain; they had to slow down to keep from slipping and mud had started to form, making it an effort to walk. Several people milled about in the square that sat next to the first few trees of the forest.

"Do you think they went into the forest?" Wil asked. Unlike Adelessa, he didn't seem to be too bothered by the rain. From the way that Dorcas was standing calmly, the fighter didn't seem to mind it, either. Serra, Ninian, and Nils all hid under the eaves of as many buildings as possible while moving to escape the worst of the downpour. Matthew glared sourly at the sky more than once. _Well,__ there__'__s __something __we __both __have __in __common: __we __both __hate __it __when __it __rains._ _If __only __that __could __be __enough __to __make __him __a__ little __friendlier__…__._

"I'm not sure – we do have the support of the people. It could be that they're staying in a house around here while they wait for us to stay out of the weather." Adelessa wasn't willing to bet on one or the other. "Wil, since you're a woodsman, would you mind going into the forest and taking a look around? You should be able to find them faster than anyone else. Don't start a fight if you can avoid it, though."

"Gotcha, Ayde! You should keep looking around here – I'll be back lickety-snick!" The cheerful archer gave her a grin and bounded off, waving jauntily at the others as he disappeared into the woods.

"Where's he going?" Matthew asked, jerking a thumb over his shoulder in Wil's general direction.

"He's going to look for Lyn and the others in the forest – Matthew, could you help me search around here? They might have chosen to take shelter with the citizens in one of the buildings in this area. I'm not sure if they did or not, but I don't want us all to go into the forest if they might be here instead." Matthew gave her a long look, but finally he nodded slowly and left to start checking around. Adelessa sighed; she had worried that he wouldn't follow even that request. "Thank you!" she called after him; she wasn't sure if he heard her or not, but she had to try. Heartening herself with the thought that she might be able to get out of the rain for a while, Adelessa went to do the same.

After several minutes of asking around, all she had in return for her efforts was a little bit of information. No one had seen Lyn or her escorts, which led her to believe that it was a very good thing that she'd sent Wil into the woods to look for them. Besides that, she'd learned that the weather around here was as unpredictable as Sain had made it out to be. _Grand,_ she thought, wringing out her wet hair as she watched the rain fall just past the sheltering roof under which she stood along with Serra, Nils, and Ninian. She was waiting for Matthew and Wil to return before she decided on their next course of action.

Her mood wasn't as foul as it could have been, though; the townspeople had seen to that, however unintentional it might have been. Every house or business that she stopped at had seemed to recognize who she was describing even before she finished speaking. Each person had wished her and hers well and that they looked forward to when the Lady Lyndis would defeat Lundgren and settle this matter for good. It was a heartwarming sentiment that she saw at every turn. It made the pouring rain seem a little less disheartening and bleak.

"No sign of her on the other side of town." Matthew looked how Adelessa felt. His blonde hair was plastered to his head and his thick woolen cloak was weighed down with all the water it had absorbed. Adelessa had chosen to keep her drenched over-tunic on if only because it was warmer this way; without it, she knew she'd be even colder in just the yellow tunic and black pants she had on. "Did you have any more luck than I did or did we get wet for no good reason?"

Adelessa couldn't help a slight smile at his sour tone, but she quickly hid it. "There wasn't any sign of Lyn or the others in the town, unfortunately." Matthew scowled deeply and took off his cloak to wring it. The absence of the cloak revealed lean, wiry muscles along his arms and torso; Adelessa quickly looked away before it could seem like she was staring. "We'll have to wait for Wil to come back – blundering into the forest now won't help anyone."

Matthew frowned and almost seemed like he was about to argue when the Adelessa held up her hand for quiet. He subsided, simmering, as she stepped forward and tilted her head. A moment later wing beats could be heard over the rain – which, incidentally, sounded like it was easing up. Adelessa backed up a step as Florina's pegasus landed in front of her. It was the ungainly landing of a creature moving too fast at too steep an angle while getting ready to touch down on the ground. That had Adelessa's stomach tying itself in knots.

"Miss Aydie!" Florina cried when she recovered from the rough, sloppy landing. "We need you! They found us across the river to the west – the horses can't move well in the rain and they have reinforcements coming!"

"What? How could they-" Adelessa cut herself off. It didn't matter _how_ it happened, it only mattered that it _was_ the case. "Lead the way, Florina – we'll go to reinforce them. Did you see Wil on your way over?"

"He's with them – he was the one who warned us of the enemy coming our way, but he didn't know about the reinforcements." Florina's eyes were big and round with fear for those she had left behind. She urged her pegasus forward at Adelessa's prompting and he daintily led the group out from under the eaves as the rain started to let up. Adelessa was both glad and frustrated about the fact that pegasi were particularly slow on the ground; their muscles were so used to flying that they weren't nearly as fast as horses when it came to moving on the ground. It was good that it was easy to follow Florina, but she wished they could move faster.

She heard a low groan of horror from someone behind her when they reached the river. The bridge they needed to cross had been destroyed: Adelessa could see scorch marks from where a mage had burned the supports. The river was too cold and too strong and swollen with water from melted snow to even think of fording it or swimming across. It was too wide to jump on foot, but a horse would likely be able to clear it. She stared at it in blank surprise for a moment, just as horrified, before she snapped around.

"Lord Wallace, there's a snag over there," she said, pointing to an old, dead tree. "If you knock it over, you might be able to use it to cross." Her stomach knotted itself even tighter and she had to force her next words through a paper-dry mouth. "Florina, I need to take you up on your offer of flying me," Adelessa managed to squeak out. "I need to see how the enemy is positioned before I can advise the group on tactics. If I see what the situation looks like from the air, we can go back to the others and advise them."

"Of course – here, hop up behind me on Huey," Florina said, scooting forward as far as she could and patting her pegasus' back behind her. Either she hadn't noticed how Adelessa had suddenly gone as white as a sheet or she had the kindness not to comment on it. Forcing herself to the pegasus, Adelessa mechanically got up behind Florina. "Best of luck – Elimine be with you!" the girl said to the rest of the group.

Adelessa realized that she must have left her stomach on the ground by accident; why else would she feel such a sickening lurch in her gut when the pegasus took off from the ground? Complete and total terror made her clutch Florina around the girl's waist. Despite the fact that it scared her, she couldn't help but watch the people on the ground shrink as the pegasus flew ever higher. Dizzily, she thought, _Do__ we __really __need __to __be __this __high?__ Oh,__ Elimine, __spirits, __let __me __live __through__ this__…__._ The few bites of breakfast threatened her with a wave of nausea when they lost altitude in a fast drop.

Forcing herself to work past her fear, she ignored how her heart seemed to be trying to burst out of her chest and surveyed the ground beneath them. She could see the formation of the enemy – while the forest prevented more sophisticated tactics, they were still able to nearly surround the small part of Lyndis' Legion and corner them with their backs to an impassible hill. She knew that she had to go down where they were fighting: if they kept pushing the direction they were currently pointed, they'd find themselves in the middle of an ambush. Their only hope to get out would be to skirt around their enemies to the south and avoid the other opponents in the woods.

Gulping in fear, Adelessa leaned ever so slightly to her left and yelled in Florina's ear to be heard over the wind and rain. "Take us down – I've seen enough!" Florina nodded and leaned forward. Apparently that was the signal for 'down' because the pegasus half-folded his wings and started to dive. It took every last scrap of willpower that she possessed to keep from screaming as Adelessa watched the ground approach her at a far-too-fast pace. She clung to Florina even tighter and finally squeezed her eyes shut.

Her prayers were only interrupted when she felt the pegasus jolt beneath her and nearly found herself thrown off. She shrieked and flailed for anything to hold on to – she'd lost her grip on Florina when the girl had shifted and the jolt knocked her loose. She didn't find anything, and started to fall.

She hit the ground with a quiet _"__thump__"_ and looked up to see Florina standing worriedly over her. "Are you alright, Miss Aydie?"

_You __are __a__ complete __and __total __coward, __Adelessa. __The __pegasus __was__ just __standing __on__ the __ground, __not __flying __dozens __of __feet __above __it,_ she thought sourly to herself. _No __need __to__ scream __like __that._ Standing and trying to recover what was left of her dignity, Adelessa nodded. "I'm fine," she said, wishing that her traitorous cheeks would stop burning red. She was fully ashamed of her fear and hated that Florina had to see it.

It wasn't a case of being afraid of heights – that she could deal with. If anything, she liked being up high in towers or trees or cliffs. It was being up in the air at the mercy of someone or something else, not on her own two feet that scared the living daylights out of her. Horses didn't bother her much – at least then you only have a few feet to fall if you get spilled out of the saddle – but anything more adventurous than that made her skin crawl with terror.

As she collected her calm back around herself, she realized that Florina had set her down just behind the rest of the forward group. Lyn had abandoned her horse to fight on foot, staving off attacks from other sword-wielders. Just by looking at them, Adelessa could tell that they were mercenaries; no amount of armor with a house's colors could disguise that. Kent and Sain were fighting just as fiercely as Lyn; their horses were an unexpected second weapon of hooves and teeth for some enemies. Rath and Wil worked from behind them, firing off arrows when they had a clean shot.

"Aydie! Do you have orders?" Kent asked, narrowly deflecting a sword strike that would have caused a grievous wound had it landed. "Any advice would be greatly appreciated!" He grunted in pain when a strike bounced off of the armor on his left arm, but his horse felled that opponent when it reared up and kicked out with its front hooves. Despite her focus, Adelessa couldn't help but wince at the crunch she heard when the horse dropped back to all fours.

"Break for the south end of the line and push east!" she yelled back in return. "We might be able to make a gap in their formation and force through to the other half of the group."

"Aydie, you're an angel!" Sain shouted. He wheeled his horse around to face the southernmost part of the curve. Lowering his lance, the knight hollered and spurred his mount into a charging gallop. Soldiers dove for the ground as he plowed through their line; some didn't get back up. Sain turned his horse around and surged forward in another charge even as the rest of the group started to run to him.

Adelessa found herself thrown up behind Kent and she automatically grabbed onto him. _I__ will_ never _get__ used__ to__ this,_ she thought. Trees whipped by too quickly for her comfort. Mud splattered all around them; Adelessa was sure that she would be a mess after all this was done, what with the horses kicking up the stuff with every stride they took. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see that Lyn and Wil had hopped up onto her horse and the archer was helping to cover their retreat. Rath's arrows joined Wil's and Adelessa spared a moment to marvel at how he could ride, guide his horse, and shoot all at once.

"Now head east!" she yelled, pitching her voice as best as she could so everyone could hear her. Whether or not they could, the group all turned and rode hard to the east. They passed an unprepared squad of mercenaries but blew past them instead of fighting; it was more urgent that they join back up with the rest of Lyndis' Legion.

The bubbling, rushing voice of the river was a welcome sound. Even more than that, she saw Lucius and Erk waiting on their side of the riverbed. "I'm going to-" Adelessa started, intending to announce her decision to get off and cross the dead tree that now connected the banks, when Kent interrupted her.

"Hold on tight – we're going to jump," he warned her. Adelessa only had a second to tighten her arms around him and think a brief prayer before she felt the powerful muscles of the horse below her bunch. Then they were sailing through the air, a brief thrill of fright crawling up Adelessa's spine. She was jarred but not thrown off when they landed hard on the opposite side of the river; the following sharp turn to the right was what nearly unseated her. Thankfully Kent reached back and helped brace her with one of his arms as his horse slowed to a walk. "You okay back there?"

"Yes, thank you – that turn just took me off-guard." Adelessa watched Sain and Rath clear the river before Kent blocked her line of sight. From the new angle she could instead see Lucius and Erk hurrying back over the snag they'd knocked down. Erk set it on fire and it collapsed in the middle, cutting off any immediate path that the enemy could use to follow them. Serra hurried over to Sain to heal a bleeding score across his arm where a lucky strike had landed during his charge: Adelessa didn't remember having seen it before.

"Where did those extra men come from?" Lyn asked after she had crossed and Wil slid off of her horse. She tied her mount to a post that was under the eaves of an inn; her horse would be safe there until everything was over. The shaggy plains horse was smaller and was obviously different from the taller, sleeker horses near it, but no one would bother it while it was tied there.

"He must have hired mercenaries," Adelessa said, sliding down from Kent's horse, "but I can't imagine that there are many more out there. Lundgren likely sent all of his men after you once he thought you were cornered. We'll still keep an eye out for any more, of course, but I think it will just be Caelin soldiers from now on." She wrung out a bit of water from her clothes now that the rain had abated, though she wouldn't be surprised if it started up again. "We'll be sticking together for the rest of the way to the castle. The patrols will probably have more people in them and be more frequent, but we should be able to handle them."

The group's progress was surprisingly quiet and uneventful for several minutes. The lack of trouble only continued to make Adelessa more nervous as she walked along with the group. She wondered if the quiet humming of the twins had anything to do with it; she had deliberately taken to walking further forward in the group because standing near them made her skin prickle with goosebumps. More than once, they had directed the group down a different street to avoid danger. _I__'__m__ glad __they__'__re __here, __but __I__ don__'__t __know __that __I__'__ll __ever __get __used __to __their __ways __of __sensing __danger,_ she thought.

The castle loomed over them now; only a few more streets stood between them and their goal. Turning around a corner, Adelessa, Sain, Kent, and Lyn found themselves face-to-face with a patrol of Caelin soldiers. The knights instinctively raised their weapons when the leader of the squad jumped back in surprise. "Kent! Sain!"

"We don't have time for this, Alexander," Kent said tersely. He readied his sword. "We're going through."

Adelessa almost thought she was dreaming when she heard the _clank_ of metal hitting the cobblestones that made the street. She watched as the rest of the patrol followed its leader's example, tossing their weapons to the ground. "And we're going to let you," Alexander replied quietly. "We know that Lord Lundgren isn't the true heir, but…" He spread his hands out helplessly. His eyes drifted to where Lyn was standing and he sucked in a sharp breath. "Keep going down this street, Lady Lyndis. We arranged for those who support the _true_ House Caelin to guard this street. You shall not be accosted while under our protection, milady."

Lyn was as stunned as Adelessa, but the swordswoman recovered enough to say, "Thank you, kind sir. Please – there's no need to bow." Adelessa could see that Lyn was bolstered by this news. "We won't waste your hard work – take up your weapons and continue to patrol."

"As you wish, milady," Alexander replied. "Lundgren is at the gate of the castle, waiting for you. Take care."

"And you as well." Lyndis' Legion continued down the street. They met two other patrols, both of which bowed to Lyn as they passed. Adelessa felt a fierce joy start to spring up in her chest: this was better than she could ever have hoped. That there were people in Caelin's army that supported Lyn was more than she had dared to dream. _And__ yet __now __it__'__s __all __working __out,_ she thought, gazing at the gate that waited not far from them. _Now__ for __our__ last __steps._

"Aydie?" She looked over at Lyn. "We can do this."

"We can," Adelessa affirmed. "You've worked so hard and I've watched you improve your sword skills – you will be able to win this fight." She followed Lyn slightly behind Kent and Sain as they marched up to the gate.

She could see Lundgren, standing in heavy, gleaming plate armor not unlike Wallace's. Gray hair hung limply from his head, unkempt as if he'd been too distracted or busy to take care of it. His face was contorted in rage and he pointed an accusing finger at Lyn. "You!" he snarled. "You ruined _everything!_ If you had just _died_ like you were supposed to, all of this would be over by now!"

"I won't stand by and let a man like you cause suffering and pain to a land that is my birthright. It's my responsibility to stop you," Lyn replied calmly. Her poise seemed only to further infuriate the noble before them. "Surrender and give us the antidote to the poison you've been using on my grandfather." _There__'__s __the __anger __I__ expected._ _Lundgren __doesn__'__t __know__ what__'__s __about __to __hit __him._

"_Your_ birthright? Never!" he spat. His face was going from red to purple with fury. "This is _my_ realm. You've entered without _my_ permission and are trying to steal what's _mine_. You won't leave here alive, wench!" Kent and Sain scrambled to get between Lyn and Lundgren, but didn't move fast enough to block the javelin that he hurled at the rightful heir. Lyn dodged to the right and drew the Mani Katti.

"This ends now, Lundgren," she declared. "I won't let you cause any more harm because of your lust for power!"

Lundgren's eyes narrowed into slits. "We'll see about that." His voice promised nothing but pain and death for the young woman who dared to defy him. "Guards! To me!" When no one answered his call, he yelled louder. "_Guards!_"

"No one's coming." Adelessa didn't flinch from the glare he threw at her when she spoke up, though it was a near thing: it had been a long time since she had so much vitriol aimed her way. "The soldiers have seen you for what you are. They won't be your pawns any longer, Lundgren. You're on your own now."

"Little witch!" he snapped. "You're the one who's been helping her all this time – you're as bad as those do-good knights!" She was startled when he hurtled toward her; since he had been standing still this entire time, she thought he wasn't able to move well in his armor. _This__ will __be __the __last__ time __I __make __that __mistake,_ Adelessa thought as she watched him hurtle toward her, spear prepared to run her through. _This __might __be __my _last _mistake._ She backpedaled, but she could only retreat so quickly; she knew already that she wouldn't be able to get out of the way of his strike.

The clash of the spear against the Mani Katti as Lyn leaped forward to intercept him cracked like a shot around the gate. "I told you," she growled, "that I wouldn't let you harm anyone else. I'm not about to let that change!" With a burst of strength, she pushed the legendary sword against the spear. It broke in two pieces; Lundgren discarded the end that was just the wood of the staff and leveled the much-shorter remains of the weapon at her. "I see now why you've been poisoning Grandfather instead of fighting him properly, like a true man would do – you're a coward," she accused. "That's the only kind of man who would attack an unarmed noncombatant!"

Adelessa watched, feeling almost detached, as Lundgren roared and lunged at Lyn. She ducked beneath one of his swings and slashed her katana in a horizontal swing. It slashed against his knee, but it hit the armor that covered it instead of any vulnerable gaps. She followed that strike with a quick slice upward that likewise glanced off of the armor.

"Hah! You stupid little girl, thinking that you could land a hit against me with that little sword!" her opponent taunted. "You can't hope to hurt me with something like that!" His boasting died when he staggered instead of stepped. Looking down, he gaped at how the piece of armor over his knee had stopped moving properly.

"That's something that I learned about armor from being with Aydie," Lyn told him grimly. "You can wear all of the world's metal for protection, but if you can't move it's worse than useless." She raised her sword again, fixing Lundgren with a piercing stare. "I'd learned that this sword is good for breaking armor from all the men you sent after me."

Lyn darted forward then; she moved so quickly that Adelessa had a hard time tracking her movements. The swordswoman moved in a teal blur around Lundgren. He had only just started to turn around when her blade flashed in a swift strike. He hollered in pain as she punctured his armor and scored a deep hit in his back. "Trollop!" He swung what was left of his spear once more at her, but she danced out of its reach and stepped up close while he was still finishing his swing.

"This is for all the people you've sent to the grave," she said clearly and sank the Mani Katti deep into his chest.

Blood bubbled from Lundgren's lips as he fell to his knees, his eyes staring wildly into space. "Annoying little girl!" he spat; red frothed at the corners of his mouth. "You're nothing… nothing but a… savage from Sacae…." He fell back, but not before his crazed eyes stared through Adelessa. His chest labored to let him draw enough breath to speak. "The throne… should be… mine!"

"No." Lyn stood over him and removed her blade as he died. "This is why it can't be yours." She wiped her sword clean on his cape and walked away from him. It was only when she got closer to Adelessa that she could see how Lyn was shaking. She rushed to her friend's side and offered her support, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Are you hurt?" Lyn shook her head. "Well done – I told you. You did it, Lyn."

"Woo!" Sain's ecstatic cheer split the quiet air. "You did it! You really did it! Not that I didn't think you could, Lady Lyndis, but-"

Adelessa could feel Lyn straighten and hear the smile in her voice. "I know what you mean, Sain," she replied. She carefully returned the Mani Katti to its sheath and looked over at the dead man lying to one side of the gate. "We won. We've really beaten him."

"Now you can see your grandfather," Adelessa reminded her. Lyn looked down at her, surprised, as if she'd lost track of that goal during the fight. She couldn't blame her. _It__ was __certainly __exhausting, __even__ though __I__ just __watched. __I __can__'__t __imagine __how __hard __it __must __have __been __to __actually __fight __against __him._

"Pardon me!" A harried-looking man – brown-haired, tall, and wearing a steward's garb – ran up to the group. He scanned the group until he saw Lyn. "Are – are you Lady Lyndis?" he asked breathlessly. "We heard from people watching in the windows that Lord Lundgren had been defeated-"

"I am," Lyn replied. No small amount of confusion was in her voice. "Who are you?"

"Oh! Pardon me," he repeated. Straightening his collar, the man faced her properly. "I am Reissman, the chancellor for House Caelin. I got word from Kent and Sain when they first found you, but Lundgren found that I had the news and threw me in the dungeon. I'd like to welcome you to your true home."

She looked a bit discomfited with the greeting and wasn't quite sure what to do with this official. "Kent? Sain?" Lyn asked, looking over at them for confirmation. When they nodded, she turned back to the chancellor. "Thank you. It's… it's nice to be here. Is my grandfather inside?" she asked. She spoke faster. "Can I see him now?"

"Yes, of course. But…." Reissman's voice halted both Lyn and Adelessa in their tracks – Lyn had motioned for Adelessa to come with her – with its grim tone. "I should warn you. It might be shocking to see him. His brother had been poisoning the marquess' meals for quite some time now. He's bedridden and has been for months."

Exchanging worried looks full of trepidation, the young women silently decided that they were willing to go see Marquess Caelin. At Lyn's sharp nod, the steward started to lead them to the castle. They both paused when Adelessa motioned for them to wait a moment. She dug in a pouch at Lundgren's side and pulled out a vial filled with a white powder. _Either__ it__'__s __going __to __be __the __antidote__ or __the __poison__ – __and __we __can __get __the __antidote __if__ we __study __the __poison. _She hurried back to Lyn and Reissman and followed them into the castle.

Tapestries hung from the walls and large windows gazed out over the landscape surrounding Castle Caelin. After several flights of stairs – after which Adelessa decided she was glad that she'd done so much walking recently, or else she would have had a much harder time with them – they arrived at a door.

"Lord Hausen, there's a visitor to see you," Reissman announced, holding open the door for Lyn.

Lyn's grandfather was sitting, propped up by pillows. His skin held a sickly pallor and hung limply. He didn't open his eyes as Lyn entered the room. "Who's there?" he asked sharply, his voice cracking. Clearing his throat, he frowned severely. "I said no visitors, Reissman. I will see no one." Lyn sat down in a chair next to the bed and Adelessa's heart broke for her at her tragic expression. "What are you doing?" Hausen asked when Lyn took his hand in both of hers. "Leave me…."

"Ah… pardon me," Lyn started. Adelessa didn't know if she'd ever seen Lyn look so at odds or unsure before. "My name is – I'm Lyndis," she managed, stumbling over her words. "I came here to see you, Grandfather."

"Eh?" That made him open his eyes. They were the same color as Lyn's, though hazy with illness. They wandered over to Lyn's face and worked to focus. "Did you say Lyndis?"

Lyn nodded and Adelessa saw her grip her grandfather's hand tighter. "My father's name was Hassar. He was the chieftain of the Lorca tribe. My mother… my mother's name was Madelyn. I was raised on the plains." Her voice was quiet, hesitant.

"Could it really be?" Hausen asked wonderingly. "Come – come here, come close so I can see you." Lyn obliged him, leaning forward and sitting on the edge of the bed instead. "Ah – you look… you look just like my little Madelyn." Tears started to run down Hausen's face as he weakly pulled Lyn into a hug. "Lundgren told me that my daughter had died. My daughter, her husband – and you. He told me that you were dead. Thank you. _Thank__you_ for living…."

Adelessa, uncomfortable at watching the scene any further, drew back from the room. Reissman closed the door to let them have their privacy and turned to the brunette when she tapped on his shoulder. "Here," she said, handing over the vial. "Have an alchemist look into it. It may be the antidote, but they should be able to find a cure if it's the poison instead."

"You're Aydie, yes? Kent and Sain mentioned you in their letter – I'd like to thank you for your service to House Caelin." Adelessa blushed from her neck to the top of her scalp when the chancellor bowed to her. "What reward can we give you?"

"Knowing that she's here safely and that Lord Hausen has the chance to be well again is more than enough for me," she replied, tugging at her sleeves to distract herself. "Well… I'll have to ask Lyn – Lady Lyndis, sorry – but I'd like to keep the horse she gave me when we left the plains as well. I think she would let me keep her, but I want to check before I make any plans."

"Certainly," Reissman replied. "But would you be willing to stay long enough to rest and see Lady Lyndis presented as the heir of House Caelin? It should be done by tomorrow."

Adelessa hesitated for only a second. One day wouldn't make a difference; she could make it up on the road. It didn't compare to the gratitude that she knew Lyn would feel if she stayed for it. "Of course I will," she assured him. "It would be my honor. Though… I don't want to have a part in the ceremony."

"Not even a mention of your work to get her here?" Reissman asked. He seemed dumbfounded when Adelessa shook her head, but nodded regardless. "As you wish. Until then, any of the people in the castle would be more than happy to help show your group to the guest quarters. I imagine Kent or Sain could help you."

"Thank you, sir," Adelessa said. "I'll go let our party know." She hurried down the stairs, leaving Reissman to wait for Lyn. She could remember the way back – the castle didn't have as confusing a layout as some she'd seen in the past – and she'd rather be alone when returning.

"Lyn's with Lord Hausen," she announced when she met back up with the group. The others brightened at that. "Kent, Reissman said that you might be able to lead us to some guest quarters? Also, he requested that we all stay for a while – there's going to be a ceremony tomorrow to announce Lyndis as the heir of House Caelin." _Though __it__'__s __probably __going __to __expand__ into__ a__ full __party,_ she thought, _knowing __all __that__'__s __happened__ here. __It __will __be__ good __for __them__ – __they __deserve __the __rest __and__ chance __to __unwind._

"Good to know," Kent replied. "The guest quarters are this way…." Adelessa claimed one of the first rooms that he showed them and placed her few belongings in there after she retrieved Rhea and unpacked her belongings from the saddlebags. She left her door open in case Ninian stopped by – she was supposed to come find her and let her know if she and Nils would be traveling with her – while she laid out her books. _Maybe__ I__ can__ study__ some__ tonight,_she thought, nodding absently to herself.

"Hey, Aydie, do you know where everyone else is?"

"Isn't it dinner?" she replied absently, flipping through the pages of one of the books. "I think that's where they are. Why?"

"Oh, just wondering why you're here alone." Only then did she recognize the voice; she wasn't used to hearing the chipper tone directed at her. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Matthew lounging in the doorway to her quarters. "Seems odd that you didn't join them. Sain was asking after you."

Adelessa couldn't help but pull a face. "Sain can be disappointed," she said flatly and turned back to her book. "I'm not hungry and I wanted some time to myself. I have things that I need to do-"

"Really?"

"Matthew, would you mind-" she snapped at him, but stopped short of anything else she was going to say: Ninian was coming up the hall. "You're going to have to excuse yourself," she told him, her voice more controlled. "Ninian and I need to talk for a moment."

"Hm?" Ninian looked between the two of them with wide red eyes. She let Adelessa gently drag her into her room, forcing Matthew out of it in the process.

"Have a good time at dinner," Adelessa told him, blurting out the words in a far-from-polite manner. Closing her door, she locked it and sank against it with a quiet, drawn-out sigh. She felt a little bad about slamming her door in Matthew's face, but she just couldn't face his accusations right now. Ninian stood in the middle of her room, staring at her in nonplussed shock. "Sorry about that – I just didn't want to deal with his suspicions right now."

"Oh, no – it's alright! I don't mind. I was just surprised." Ninian gave her a hesitant smile. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes – I was wondering what you were planning as far as traveling goes..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**You guys! :'D I'm over 50 reviews! That's so exciting for me! Thank you to each of you readers and reviewers both – it really does mean a ton that you'd be willing to read and/or comment on my work. In thanks, I decided to draw a picture of our favorite tactician. It can be found here: www dot deviantart dot com/art/Adelessa-the-Tactician-273850044

Thank you to **Sethera,****Tom-Ato13,****DrakeDarkblade,****patattack,****MilleniaMaster,****Raven****the****Blood****witch,**and **AquaticSilver.** You all are fantastic and help inspire me! :D

Thank you very much to the anonymous reviewer who left the link to the game script – this will make it MUCH easier for me to continue writing!

There's one more chapter left in Lyn's story – wrapping it up, if you will. Then we'll have one short interlude chapter that bridges Lyn's tale and Eliwood/Hector's, and then we'll be off on that wild and wonderful adventure!

Until next week!


	14. The End of the Beginning

The End of the Beginning

Castle Caelin was alive with chatter and music. Green banners swept across the ceiling, livening up the plain gray stone that made the structure. Bright ribbons threaded around banisters. People who lived in the castle and the town alike gathered together to talk excitedly about the coming reveal of the new – and proper – heir of House Caelin. Everyone in attendance was in good spirits about the announcement, though the food and drink certainly helped. Musicians played tasteful, upbeat music in the main hall where the crowds waited, dressed in their finest clothing.

Adelessa was part of that crowd. She waited at the edges of the hall, watching for her friend to appear. She hadn't dressed up that much; she hadn't had much with which she could dress up. The Sacaean clothing she had been wearing was laundered, so it was clean and without any of the stains that had marred it while traveling. Her hair shone in the bright, festive lights. The light glimmered on the long, wavy locks and the few braids she'd worked into her hair in an attempt to do something more impressive with it.

She could pick members of Lyndis' Legion in the crowd. Like her, most of them either didn't have formal clothing to wear or chose to instead forsake it. Serra and Erk were the exceptions; both wore fine robes instead of their common traveling clothes. The group varied from relaxed – Matthew and Lucius both seemed unfazed by the goings-on – to excited – Wil was chatting animatedly with several members of the staff, gesturing wildly with his hands – to uneasy – Rath stood uncomfortably against the wall, his posture stiff.

_Probably __not __unlike __mine,_ she thought with no small amount of amusement. Adelessa had never been one for parties and celebrations. That was part of why she had asked Reissman to exempt her from being recognized in particular in this ceremony: being the center of attention and being fussed over was one of her _least_ favorite things in the world. _Besides_, she thought, _this__ is__ Lyn__'__s__ night__ to __shine,__ not__ mine._

The change in tone of the murmuring crowd brought her out of her thoughts. When it hushed to muted whispers, her head popped up and she scanned the raised platform at the far end of the room. She saw Reissman walk across it and stop in front of a podium that was off to one side. "Good evening, fair people of the canton of Caelin," he said. His voice was amplified by the acoustics in the room: even Adelessa could hear him, and she was a fair distance away and to the side. "I address you on this fine spring evening to announce grand news. While he could not make it to this celebration, our Lord Hausen is finally recovering, thanks greatly in part to the valorous efforts of Lyndis' Legion."

Smiling widely enough that her cheeks started to hurt, Adelessa joined in and cheered with the rest of the crowd. Reissman waited for a moment before he held up his hands for silence; the crowd hushed slowly. "I would like to extend House Caelin's thanks to Lyndis' Legion for everything that they've done over the past months. From finding Lady Lyndis to escorting her safely here to defeating the usurper Lundgren, they all have helped time and time again. Each one of you is a friend to House Caelin for all that you've done.

"Finally, as chancellor of the Caelin family, I'm proud to present Lady Lyndis to you as the true and proper heir of House Caelin." He nodded at someone in the wings; Kent and Sain, both dressed in gleaming armor in the colors of Caelin rather than their personal armor, walked out, escorting a young woman. "Granddaughter of Lord Hausen, Marquess Caelin, and daughter of Madelyn – I present to you Lady Lyndis!"

The hall erupted with cheering and it was only then that Adelessa realized that the young woman between Kent and Sain was actually Lyn. She was in a long, sleeveless gown of teal and green fabric. While cut simply, the dress was magnificent and regal in its elegance. It fit Lyn perfectly. Her hair was down, cascading in a dark green waterfall that framed her face and reached down her back. Lyn looked around with a smile that slowly grew larger; Adelessa waved and was rewarded with an extra-bright smile from her friend.

Lyn started down the steps from the raised platform. Kent and Sain followed her a few strides back, more as an honor guard than out of any actual worry for her. Adelessa started winding her way through the crowd to reach her side; it took her a few minutes, but she finally intercepted Lyn. "You look very nice," she told her.

"I'm glad you think so," Lyn murmured back, though she couldn't hide the twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "It's terribly strange, you know. It's good to see you here."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Adelessa said. She smiled. "I just didn't want to try to steal any of your attention."

Lyn gave her a sour enough look that Adelessa laughed. "I have half a mind to march you up there and introduce you myself," the young woman threatened. Adelessa shuddered in horror and held up her hands in surrender, still chuckling, and Lyn abated. "But thank you."

"Certainly – I'm going to let you go now. I just wanted to tell you in person." Adelessa melted back into the crowd to watch the goings-on. She sipped on fruit juice when it was offered to her and nibbled on light snacks. Most of the members of Lyndis' Legion made their way to Lyn at one point or another over the next several minutes to speak with her.

After a while, she started to feel the itch to get away from the whole mess. It was good to see that Lyn was fitting in well at her new home – watching her speak with people helped her realize that – but being around this many people was starting to wear on her nerves. Sure that she wouldn't be missed in the teeming crowd of people, she started making her way out of the hall.

It was much easier, Adelessa found, to lose herself in a fortress during a celebration than to sneak in the quiet of night in a forest. In the first place, the rest of her companions were too busy congratulating Lyn and each other and so didn't miss her as quickly as they might have. She didn't have to worry about stepping on twigs or roaming bandits. In fact, all the people around her just smiled and dismissed her; she was only another person celebrating the victory over Lundgren.

_There__'__s__ one __good__ thing__ about __not __taking __credit __when __Lyn __was __presented,_ Adelessa thought as she wandered down a less-crowded hallway. She was heading for a door to the outside where she could get away from all of the rowdy people. _It __means __most __of __these __people __don__'__t __know __my __face __and __won__'__t __remember __that __I__ passed __by __for __more __than __a __few __minutes._ While she was genuinely glad that all of this was over, Adelessa wasn't much one for parties like this. _Sometimes,_ she decided, walking out of a door that led to a quiet courtyard, _you__ just __need __to __get __away __from__ everyone._

Tilting her head back, Adelessa gazed up at the sky. The stars were just starting to light up, the sky to the west still painted in the blazing colors of a brilliant sunset. A few leaves of neatly trimmed trees whispered when a slight breeze caressed them, but then all was still in the courtyard; apparently everyone else was busy inside. Adelessa closed her eyes, sighing to let the tension and pressure of her position in the group drain off of her. Now that everything was over, she didn't have to carry the burden of their lives on each decision she made. It was nice to relax and not worry about the next battle.

_I__'__ve __proved __it,_ she thought, settling down on a bench to gaze up at the stars. Her fingers fished the medallion out of her tunic and started rubbing it as she stared up at the darkening sky. _I__ proved __to __myself __that __I __could __do __this. __Now __I __know __that __I __didn__'__t __choose __wrong __when __I __went __into __tactics __and __strategy. __That__'__s __good __to __know._

* * *

><p>Matthew watched the young woman peel off from the group and retreat into the corridors of the castle. Suspicious of what she could be doing, he decided that he would follow her. Aydie didn't notice him once, even when she sat down on a bench in a courtyard. <em>How<em>_ nice__ that __she__ would__ do __my __job __for __me,_ he thought wryly, leaning against the outer wall behind her. _Now__ I __don__'__t __have __to __try __to__ get __her __separate __from__ the __rest __of __the __group __so __I__ can __talk __to __her._

"You know, for a girl who tries to seem ordinary, you can sure sneak with the best of them." Aydie was plenty surprised when he spoke up. She jumped up from where she had been sitting on the bench and turned to face him. _For__ all __that__ she __isn__'__t __a __fighter, __her __reflexes__ are __certainly __fast. __Yet __another__ mystery __about __her._ "And you sure are jumpy." He minutely inspected his knife; the way he held it up let the orange light of the sunset catch on it. He saw Aydie work to compose herself past the blade in his vision.

"Sorry – I just wasn't expecting someone to sneak up on me like that." Her voice held a note of accusation in it. He could all but hear her mentally talking herself down and after a moment her voice was milder. "Did you need something from me?"

"Oh, not so much. I noticed you weren't in there with everyone else." He flipped his knife and put it back in the sheath in which he kept it. "I wanted to see what you were doing off on your own."

"Nothing much, really." Aydie sounded uneasy, nervous. Matthew knew then that there was more going on than that. Something had her on edge. His eyes caught on a glint of gold and silver at her neck.

"That's a nice necklace," he noted, nodding to her medallion. She stiffened and her hand twitched as if to go to cover it. "What is it for?" He was honestly curious; Etrurian knotwork medallions weren't common. They could hold magic within them or carry charms for years, and as such were terribly prized. That she would have one was impressive and intriguing.

"Nothing," she replied too quickly. If nothing else in the world, Adelessa was terrible at lying; Matthew could tell that in an instant, even without his knack for sniffing out lies.

_There __we__ have __it. __She_ is _hiding __something._ "Another evasion," he said, taking a few steps toward her. Aydie took a step back, her path parallel to the bench, and her fingers closed around the medallion. Matthew snapped his knife down into a ready position; if she was about to throw some sort of spell at him, he wasn't going to let her just get away with it. She seemed gentle and like she wouldn't want to fight, but it was never a bad idea to be prepared. "You know, the way you act – how you're always so nervous… it makes me think that you're hiding something, Aydie."

"I could say the same," Aydie retorted, trying to stave him off with a show of confidence. He had the sneaking suspicion that it was only a façade. "You hardly have the bearing of a common thief – you're too good." Her eyes were what gave her away: they were wide-open windows into her mind. She couldn't hide anything when someone looked at them.

Those emerald eyes gave away that she was upset, worried, nervous; Matthew knew he was ready to close in for the kill to get to the bottom of things. After the close call with an assassin in Castle Ostia who nearly reached Lord Uther, the head of the Lycian League, he wasn't willing to let even the slightest concern slide. Unfortunately for her, Aydie presented a very _large_ concern at the moment. He'd have to deal with her now before anything else started.

"Why, thanks," he said wryly. "I'm flattered. And you, _Adelessa_-" Adelessa stared when he said her name "-hardly act like an average student of tactics. Why does someone who looks Bernese wear Sacaen clothing, have a mixed Bernese and Etrurian accent – and that Etrurian medallion – and involve herself in Lycian politics?" He took a few more steps in her direction, his amber-brown eyes locking on her bright green pair and refusing to let them go. "Why is someone who acts so meek around others so good at giving them orders in the middle of combat? Why do such docile eyes sharpen and notice the slightest of details? Why can she walk so quietly and nimbly in the earliest hours of the morning – yes, I did notice those times that you snuck out without anyone else the wiser – with that amount of skill and yet not be able to defend herself when attacked? Even with just those things, you don't add up like you should," Matthew laid out, his tone too casual to be truly conversational. "Not to mention the fact that Serra's healing didn't work on you; she healed up those knights of yours without a problem."

He knew then that he had her: Aydie had stopped still – she wasn't even backing up anymore, though the wall at her back helped with that – and she hadn't tried to fend off any of his accusations. A twinge of guilt popped up when Matthew saw that there was no small amount of fright in those green eyes, but he crushed it quickly; he couldn't let this go on any longer. He had to get to the bottom of this and figure out if he needed to worry about what this girl had been doing.

* * *

><p>Adelessa was frozen, unable to respond to his string of questions. An icy shard of dread nestled in her chest where her heart used to be. She knew she had answers to those questions – good ones that would prove she wasn't worth his interest – but her words froze with that ice before they ever left her throat. Her mind whirled; this man had been able to read her far too easily, had been able to discern through all the chaos that there was more to her than what she seemed. She couldn't bring herself to look away from him or deny a word he said.<p>

In that instant, Matthew terrified her.

"You can't tell them," she finally blurted.

Matthew tilted his head and took another step forward. "Can't tell them?" he echoed.

"You can't tell them any of what you just said," she pleaded, feeling the peace and calm she'd just found at the conclusion of this journey crumbling to ash. She was vaguely aware that she had backed up into the wall and had nowhere else to retreat. "I-I don't want them to wonder about me." A wavy haze appeared in her vision; she quickly brushed under her eyes, trying to make the movement look like she was getting a piece of hair out of her face. She bit the inside of her lip, using that pain to distract and compose herself.

"You're not even going to try to deny any of what I said?" Matthew asked. Adelessa had the pleasure of seeing the surprise on his face despite the dim lighting.

"Why bother?" she asked simply, giving a weak laugh. It sounded almost like a sob near the end and Adelessa had to dig her fingernails into her palms to keep from falling apart any more. "You already saw through all that I tried to do to and we both know that I'm a terrible liar." Feeling the tears burning in her throat as a painful lump, she desperately grasped for her last defense. "I tried so hard," she said, hearing her voice get sharper with anger, "and I wasn't hurting anyone. Why couldn't you just leave well enough alone?"

"Would you leave a threat alone?"

Adelessa flinched at his words; they were sharper than any dagger. When she recovered, she stared at him in complete incomprehension. It was a big enough shock that her tears stayed at bay while she tried to get her mental feet back under her. "A threat?" she echoed, knowing she'd heard him right but unable to believe that it was correct.

"You've been dabbling in Lycian politics," Matthew said. "You can't deny that, you know. Because of that, you're a threat. I'm sure someone as smart as you can figure this out."

Adelessa stared at him for a long moment. _Is__ this __really __what __I__ get __for __all __of __this, __for __worrying __about__ him __and __protecting __everyone? __Suspicion?_ That thought set her lip to quivering and she tried to hide her pain at that accusation with a laugh.

* * *

><p>Matthew frowned when Aydie laughed weakly. That was the last thing he expected her to do. "I see," she managed breathlessly. Her voice sounded odd; reaching for his knife, he stopped when she shook her head. "I see." Her voice broke on the second word. She blinked quickly as she looked back up. "Alright. If that's what you want to think." Matthew watched as she brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Never mind that I worked to keep you safe and healthy and worried about you. I understand."<p>

Matthew realized with a lurch of shame that she was holding back tears. He reached forward, meaning to apologize – he hadn't meant to upset her that much; he only wanted to get some answers – but Aydie jerked to one side and passed him before he could snag her.

"I'll leave, then." She didn't look at him and he almost didn't hear her because of that. "You won't have to worry that way." He stared at her as she walked past him. Aydie hurried to the other door into the castle, leaving the one she'd left originally untouched. Her quiet footsteps quickly faded to nothing as she fled, leaving Matthew wondering what just happened as he watched that door close.

"Maaaaatth-yeeeew!" He cringed and lost all hope of going after her to apologize.

"What is it, Serra?" he snapped.

"_Some_one's grumpy tonight." Serra stood in front of the first door, her hands propped on her hips. "Stop standing around out here all alone. People are going to start wondering what you're up to – they'll probably think you're stealing something or getting into other trouble!"

The irony wasn't lost on Matthew. "Yeah, fine," he replied. Serra grabbed him and started marching him back inside to the party. _I__ can __find__ her __after __rubbing __elbows __with __these __people __for __a __while. __I__'__ll __finish__ this __conversation__ – __and__ apologize__ – __then._

* * *

><p>Adelessa threw Rea's saddlecloth over her back and placed the saddle over that. Tears still burned in the corners of her eyes but she refused to let them get any further than that. <em>No <em>_time __for __that. __I __won__'__t __cry. __This __isn__'__t __so __bad __that __I__ need __to __cry._ She jerked the belt that held the saddle in place to tighten it and stroked her mare's neck when she stood up. "At least you won't accuse me of anything," she whispered. The dun horse gazed at her with calm brown eyes.

It might have been late – normally she wouldn't travel at night – but Caelin was fairly safe. The knights made sure that bandits didn't run rampant and they were far enough away from mountain country that bandits were less common. That and she didn't want to stay here any longer than necessary after that little confrontation with Matthew.

"Aydie?" The only thing that kept Adelessa from running right out of the stable was that she recognized that it wasn't Matthew's voice. She turned and saw Lyn holding out Rea's bridle. "You're leaving, aren't you?"

"I… I have to." Adelessa met Lyn's eyes for a moment before she looked down at the bridle in her hands. She stopped her fingers when she realized they were worrying the leather and metal bits. "I can't stay, I'm sorry. There's so much that I need to do." _At __least __I __don__'__t __have __to __worry __about __breaking __off __a __promise __with __Ninian __and __Nils__ – __they __said__ that __they__ were __going __to __stay __here __for __a__ while __before __moving __on._

"I know – I wouldn't ask you to stay." Lyn's kind understanding nearly made Adelessa cry all over again. It was a welcome balm after Matthew's paranoia and accusations. "It's just… I'll miss you, Aydie." Lyn tucked a lock of hair behind her ear; it was still strange to see her in Lycian wear instead of her normal garb. "When I found you on the plains, unconscious and helpless, I had thought to help you and maybe travel with you for a few days. I had never imagined that we would have ended up here – especially not after so many trials."

"It's… it's strange for me too. I hadn't thought that I could do something like this. If you had asked me when we first met, I would have told you that you were crazy," she admitted. Lyn laughed along with her as Adelessa slipped the bit between the teeth of her horse and started fitting the bridle.

"But really," Lyn started again, "you've helped us – me – so much. I don't know how I could ever thank you, Aydie."

"Lyn, just be happy with your grandfather. That's all I really want for you. Besides, I've learned so much – it's not like I didn't get anything out of this."

"I'm sure you learned all you could from us." Lyn smiled at her, but it was a bittersweet one. Adelessa knew that because she was doing the same. "You'll do just fine on your exams. I know that you'll be a grand master tactician someday, just you wait. I've seen you at work, so I know better than anyone!"

She found herself swept up into a tight hug; her arms tightened around Lyn. _It__ will __be __strange __not __to __travel __with __Lyn __any__more,_ she thought sadly. She had gotten so used to being with her that it would be a stark difference to travel alone again. They let go of each other and Adelessa was glad to see that there was a misty haze in Lyn's eyes; this meant she wasn't the only one who was choked up.

"Well, take care," Lyn said finally.

"I will – you too, Lyn."

"I hope that you'll come back soon. You're always welcome here, alright?" Adelessa was heartened when Lyn gave her a bright smile even through the sadness of parting. "But only once you're a full tactician. I don't want to distract you."

"I promise I'll come visit you once I pass my tests," Adelessa said. She paused; there was nothing else for her to do here to stall her leaving. Even though she had come in here wanting to leave as quickly as possible, now she found herself wanting to stay. "Fare well, Lyn." She clambered up onto Rea's back and urged the mare forward. When she was several minutes away from the castle, Adelessa spared a look back. Seeing Lyn standing at the entrance of the stable was hard and she had to force herself to keep going. _I__ forgot__ how__ nice__ it__ was__ to__ be__ with__ someone__ like __that._ Looking out at the road, she steeled herself. She couldn't look back, not without wanting to return to the group that had all but become her family.

_Well, there's no time to waste – that exam won't wait…._

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Well, there we have it! Lyn's story is complete. With Christmas just around the corner, I figure it's only right that I give you a little something extra. Watch for a bonus update or two over the next few days!

Thanks to all of you folks who've been with me this far. Thanks to my reviewers of the last chapter – **MilleniaMaster,** **Sethera**, **AquaticSilver**, **Raven the Blood witch, Tom-Ato13**, and** DrakeDarkblade**. Your words make me a happy, happy writer. ;3

Lyn's story is done – the introduction to the characters is over. To answer a couple of common questions: yes, I'm going to do a hybrid of Hector and Eliwood's stories, and, yes, I'm going to tweak the story a bit. Adelessa has her own story woven in with theirs; I can't hardly call this a tactician-centric fic if I don't give her a little bit of her own plot in with the game's! And don't worry – most, if not all, of the questions you may have about Aydie will be answered in this part. (Though if you want to shoot some my way to make sure that I answer them, that wouldn't be a bad idea. ;D I'm only human and, I'm afraid, terribly, terribly blonde.)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you!


	15. A Brief Interlude

Time had no meaning. Nothing mattered, really, except for the figures on the paper. Numbers, formations, terrain, weather conditions – each variable had its place in deciding just how to approach the situation given. Tactics had to be juggled carefully to design a strategy that would cut losses, shorten the skirmish's length, and give the largest degree of victory.

Green eyes flicked across the page, rapidly absorbing the information and envisioning the scenario in the mind behind them. Adelessa absently tapped her quill against her lips. This was the last question – and the hardest by far. She was up against what seemed to be insurmountable odds with few units at her disposal in terrain that was better suited to the opposition's advance than hers. More than half of her units were lightly armored and not up for the punishment that the enemy could dole out. Almost a third of her units were a mixed batch of pegasus knights and wyvern riders, but that wouldn't help: there were enough archers in the front few lines of the enemy formation that she couldn't send them into the fray without most of them getting shot down.

_That is the Requiem scenario for you_, she thought wryly. It was the part of her exam that had worried her from the very start: the Requiem scenario was infamous amongst tactician students. No one had yet found a winning strategy for it. Most of the people who took the exam either decided to retreat – something that always ended in a bloody defeat – or didn't try an answer at all and just left it blank. Luckily for them, no one had ever been failed because of this question: popular theory had it that it was just an impossible case that was put there to remind upstart tacticians that they weren't infallible.

Despite that, Adelessa wanted to try her hand at it. _Nothing ventured,_ she thought, putting her quill to the paper, _nothing gained._ She'd learned from her time with Lyndis' legion of what different kinds of units were capable. More importantly than that, she knew that "impossible" was a label applied too often; after all, most people had whispered that it was _impossible_ to get Lyn to Caelin, _impossible_ to travel with the siblings without dying, _impossible_ to defeat Lundgren….

Setting down her quill, she studied her strategy. Nodding slowly, she gathered her effects from the table. The last thing she grabbed was the parchment on which she'd written all of her answers. That she placed on a table in the back before she left the large room in which she'd taken the exam with the dozen other prospective tacticians. If they did well, only half of them would be given their spyglass and be declared actual tacticians.

Trying to forget that thought, Adelessa left the room to wait in the hall outside. While she was the first one done, she knew that others would be trickling out soon. The examiners would look over their work immediately after all of them were done; with luck, they would have their answers by noon of the next day. Settling down in a chair, Adelessa resigned herself to the wait. _It's not like I have anything else to do,_ she thought, smiling wryly.

* * *

><p>"As usual," one of the examiners sighed, "most of these were left blank."<p>

"It _is_ the single hardest scenario that has ever been put on the exam," the other reminded him, leafing through the tests. "You can't expect that anyone will want to try it after it's been on them for so long without any success. At least these are the last two."

"Mm. There's that, at least." Silence reigned in the room until a startled exclamation came from the first man. "Come look at this – someone actually set out a strategy."

"Did they?" Both looked over the parchment, written in a neat, even script. "Well, I'll be damned," he breathed. "That's… that's one of the most imaginative solutions I've ever seen. Saint Elimine as my witness, it might actually have some merit!"

"Most people only use the fliers to retreat, not to reposition their units in a pattern for an ambush." He checked the name at the top. "And, of all people, it's the girl." They looked at each other for a long moment.

"I think," the second examiner said slowly, "we just found our first new tactician."

* * *

><p><em>I have no idea where you'll be when you read this or, well, even <span>when<span> you'll read this. I know you're very busy – you had to hurry out so quickly after everything happened at Castle Caelin that you can't be anything but – so I just hope you see this fairly soon. I know you mentioned going to a university in Etruria, so I thought I'd try sending this letter to the main one. Sain assured me that it would get there in a fair amount of time – oh, and he says "hello" and that he thinks that you're just as beautiful as ever. (The lout.)_

_Mostly I'm writing to catch you up on what all has happened since you left. A lot has changed around here and I think you'd like hearing about it! It's so strange how things are compared to when I first found you out on the plains…._

_Since General Eagler passed away (we found his son, by the way, and he's just fine now) there's been a lot of people being promoted and shifted around in the forces here in Caelin. I know you probably already knew it was going to happen, but Kent was named the Knight Commander of Caelin. You should have seen his face when it was announced – I thought he was going to faint! Sain helped prop him up so he could go up and accept the title. It's a high honor for someone so young, but no one's denying that he's capable._

_Speaking of Sain – and he just passed by again to check to see that I did, in fact, let you know that (here the handwriting changed) you're still the most beautiful and delicate butterfly- Sorry, he snagged the letter. True to form, it ends up that's not the last time Sain will have to support Kent: right after Kent got his title, he turned around and elected Sain as the Subcommander of the Caelin knights. Obviously, by that little bit up there, he hasn't grown up a bit. He doesn't always listen to Grandfather or Kent, but he gets the job done. He woos the village girls and is much loved by everyone in the castle._

_Along with those two, Florina is a full pegasus knight now. She graduated in a ceremony just after the castle was taken – but she's staying here. She's not a formal knight yet – there are some dissenters that wonder about having an Ilian pegasus knight as part of our army – but Kent assures me that it's just a matter of time before we win them over. Florina trains just as hard as any of the other knights. I hear that she's training so hard so she can become invaluable to me, but she doesn't realize that she is already. She's… well, she's just as scared of men as ever. Maybe a little less. Maybe._

_Wil is also staying here! His plucky cheerfulness and cooking skill have made him a fast favorite with the staff around here. He's part of the citizen militia; he doesn't know if he wants to swear to serve House Caelin yet or not. He says there's still things that he needs to do before he settles down for good. Kent's teaching him manners – or trying to!_

_Dorcas left about a week after you did. He went back to Bern. We don't hear much from him, but apparently he's been taking care of his wife. I've heard rumors that he makes a good living as a mercenary, fighting bandits._

_Serra and Erk stayed for the celebrations, but Erk reminded her that she needed to get to Ostia. I think it's because he wanted to be done with her…. For all that she could be annoying, it's just not the same without her scolding people. If only the pages and squires could get a tongue-lashing from her when they came in for medical attention we wouldn't have half the injuries we do now! From what I heard, Erk went back to Etruria. I wonder if you passed each other on the road? Apparently he was a journeyman, not unlike you, but he was glad to be done with it. He's back with his mentor now._

_Rath slipped out during the celebration. One of the stable boys saw him tacking up his horse but couldn't tell anyone soon enough for us to properly say goodbye. No one knows what he's doing now, or whether he went back to the plains or is working as a mercenary somewhere._

_Nils and Ninian left a few days after Dorcas, which was too bad. Ninian's ankle was all healed up by the time they left, so hopefully she and Nils are out there practicing and staying safe. I hope they are – they wouldn't accept our offer to stay in Caelin and help protect them. It's too bad. It's quiet without Nils piping away and Ninian was always such pleasant company._

_Lucius is actually still here – he's been studying our library. He hadn't had access to such the rare and unique tomes here (I guess they are, I'm not an expert on such things) and so wanted a chance to read through them. He just received a summons to another country, so he'll be leaving soon. He seems to have a friend, though he's a hard-eyed mercenary and seems so… not-Lucius that I can't help but wonder how those two ended up being friends._

_Lord Wallace… oh, spirits, I wish you could hear us now. Kent and I are laughing over his antics. For the record, don't let him ever, ever have any significant amount of alcohol. He gets… silly, shall we say? Yes. Well, apparently this inheritance dispute only whetted his appetite for battle. He set off to find a cause worthy of his skills, but… we both know he lacks any ability to navigate. It might be years before we see him again! If you meet him, could you let him know that Commander Kent would like him to come back, please?_

_Matthew disappeared right after you did. He asked where you'd gone probably not an hour after you left and was gone before we realized he might leave. Do you know where he is? I had wanted to properly thank him for all he's done, but he vanished before I could._

_I suppose I should tell you a little about myself now, too! I'm living at Castle Caelin as Lady Lyndis (that's still so strange to hear) with Grandfather. He's recovering well. We go for walks in the gardens when he's feeling well enough._

_Though… I do still miss the plains. I wish I could return to them. Is that bad? I'm happy here, but I miss the lands of my birth. There's a nice hill near the castle (that one we said goodbye on, remember) and when it's nice out, I go there to look out toward the plains. Maybe someday I'll travel with you again and we can return there. Though hopefully this time you won't get heatstroke!_

_Well, I think that's all I have to say for today – if you could send me a letter back, it would be nice. I know you're busy, so a visit would be hard, but I want to keep in touch. May the spirits guide your feet!_

_~Lyn_

* * *

><p>Adelessa smiled and rolled up the letter. Her heart felt like it would burst with the love she felt for the kind young woman who had written it and the people that surrounded her. <em>I'm so happy for you, Lyn,<em> she thought, rubbing her medallion. Her hand drifted from it to the new spyglass that rested on her belt. _And will I ever have something to brag about when I see you again. I think I will go to Lycia – perhaps this time I'll be able to enjoy the scenery!_ She picked up the bundle sitting next to her and pulled out the bright green over-tunic. Her smile grew wider yet and she nodded firmly to herself. _I think I _will_ go to Lycia…_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Merry Christmas! Here's a short bonus update for you guys. I hope you're having happy holidays! See you on Friday!


	16. Taking Leave

Taking Leave

The innkeeper looked oddly over at the young woman sitting in the corner, drying a bowl with a rag. He had just opened breakfast when she first came in, carrying that same book. Now, three hours later, she was still tucked into the private corner, apparently oblivious to the world around her as she paged through the book and took notes on a piece of parchment. _Don't see many scholars come out this way_, he thought, dismissing her presence.

Adelessa, in her defense, was so disconnected from outside stimuli because she was reading something that she found outright fascinating. The book she was reading – _An Account of the Scouring_ – covered one of the most interesting topics she'd run across in her time at school. While it had been mentioned in connection to philosophy classes that covered St. Elimine's teachings and basic history classes, she'd never had the chance to get a detailed story about the grand war that had taken place roughly one thousand years ago. She had received the book as a gift from her foster father when she learned that she had passed her examination to become a fully-fledged tactician.

_Once,_ she read in the beginning summary, _dragon fought man in a war called the Scouring…. For millennia before, mankind and dragons coexisted in peace and prosperity. Then, for reasons unknown, the dragons rose up and began to attack men. After a long and bloody fight, mankind vanquished the dragons and banished them to another world thanks to the efforts of eight heroes._

_These eight mighty generals brought peace to Elibe. The continent was divided into nations and the people enjoyed an easy prosperity. The hero Hartmut settled in the east and founded Bern, famed for its military might. St. Elimine moved west and her sacred name flourished among the artisans of Etruria. The horseman Hanon's legacy lived on with the nomads in his beloved plains of Sacae. The birthplace of the knight Barigan is now home to the renowned Knights of Ilia. The berserker Durban's final glory was to create a warrior's clan in the Western Isles. The archsage Athos is said to have retired to the barren wasteland of Nabata. The heirs of the champion Roland became the lords of the Lycian League._

Adelessa began to jot down notes about dates and events. It helped keep her mind off of other, more disturbing subjects that she'd heard about when she started to travel into Lycia. This territory in particular, Pherae, was besieged with trouble. Not only were bandits starting to move in and cause havoc in a previously calm and stable location, but the marquess, Lord Elbert, had mysteriously vanished with some of the territory's most capable knights. A month had come and gone without word from any of them and unease was starting to grow more and more noticeable among the people. Rumors passed in whispers, talking about a sudden death or worse with this most unusual absence.

The door banging open with a crash was more than enough to knock her rudely out of her thoughts. Startled, Adelessa knocked over the small ink pot sitting on her table. "For Elimine's sake!" she snapped, quickly scooting out of her chair so the black ink wouldn't stain her beloved over-tunic. Under it she wore a more traditional Etrurian blouse and breeches, neither of which she wanted stained either. She froze in gathering up her effects and scolding the man who'd made the noise when she saw who it was.

A young man, his chest heaving as he gulped in breath, stood in the doorway. "Bandits!" he gasped. His yellow armor was dulled with dust from a hard ride and his dull green hair was mussed from being in the helmet that he held under one arm. "Get word out, because they're on their way!"

"_Bandits?_" Both Adelessa and the innkeeper repeated the word in dismay. Adelessa threw her book into the pack that she carried with her, hurrying so she could catch up to the young knight who had barged in. "Miss, where are you going?" the innkeeper called after her as she started for the door.

"Don't worry about me, sir!" she replied cheerfully. She hitched her pack's strap higher on her shoulder. "Just get the inn boarded up!" Adelessa ran outside and glanced around until she saw the person hurriedly mounting his horse at the front of the inn. "Pardon me – you said that there are bandits on the way," she called to him, waving so he would notice her faster.

"Yes – you should get inside," he told her, putting his helmet back on his head. His voice sounded frazzled, harried. "The fighting will be rough!"

"Take me back with you." When the young man did a double-take to stare at her, Adelessa said, "I know Lord Eliwood and I'm a tactician. I'd like to help you in this fight. Let me at least speak to him."

She had the distinct impression that the knight was too nonplussed to know how to react to that. "If you could lend us assistance, I doubt my lord would turn you away," he said finally. "We must hurry – I need to tell my lord about the bandits as soon as possible. I don't have room for you on my horse, though."

"Thank you – that won't be a problem. I've my own mount," Adelessa told him. She quickly attached her pack to her saddle and swung up into it; the amount of time she'd spent traveling over the past year had improved her riding skills many times over. She would never be able to compete with the likes of Rath, Sain, or Kent, but, then again, she didn't have to. Clucking to her horse and squeezing her knees, she rode the shaggy plains pony out onto the road. The young cavalier was still waiting there, though he had been joined by someone else. A girl, likely no older than her early teens, with green hair braided in two long pigtails over each shoulder and a bandana tied over her head sat behind him on his horse. A quiver rested on her back and she held a longbow in one hand.

The cavalier wasted no time in riding out of the village once Adelessa joined them. Both horses galloped out of the town. The walls were well behind them and they were instead surrounded by farm fields before the cavalier slowed his horse. As she did the same, Adelessa caught sight of a familiar head of bright red hair. To her surprise, she recognized Eliwood as they drew closer, though not the older, grizzled knight who rode a white war horse next to him. The lord appeared to be tending to the slightly smaller and less-armored white horse that butted him with its head.

"Lord Eliwood!" the yellow-armored cavalier yelled as his horse trotted the last several strides. Both men turned to look at him at his distressed call. "Co-Commander Marcus! I-"

"Lowen!" The gray-haired knight – Marcus – urged his horse forward so he would be next to Lowen. "Calm yourself – a knight must be in control of himself at all times." His voice was steely and strong; it brooked no disagreement. Adelessa was glad that she was well behind Lowen and out of Marcus' direct line of sight.

Lowen visibly worked to get himself under control. While his voice was still harried, it was more even than it had been. "The village is under attack," he said. Eliwood and Marcus' heads both snapped around to stare at the young knight. "It's bandits!"

"Bandits, _here?_" Marcus asked disbelievingly. "Of all the things…."

"Are you sure, Lowen?" Eliwood asked, speaking up for the first time.

Lowen nodded sharply. "This girl – she's from the village – she has more details, milord."

"My lord Eliwood – I'm the daughter of the village magistrate," the girl said, sliding off of the horse to stand before the young lord. "My name's Rebecca." Looking over her shoulder, she nodded sharply at the village the three had just left behind. "The bandits have been bad lately, but usually we spot them before they get to us proper. If not for your man Lowen here, we wouldn't have seen them at all." Adelessa was impressed with the girl's poise; while her bottom lip trembled a bit, she kept her voice mostly level. Rebecca's voice took on a more desperate note. "They were already stealing things when we left – please, milord, help us!"

Eliwood nodded quickly. "We will," he assured her kindly. "Marcus, Lowen – prepare to ride! We must aid the village!" His knights nodded and began preparing their weapons as Eliwood turned back to her. "Rebecca, if you could, stay here. Keep out of sight and you should be safe."

"Lord Eliwood – if it pleases you, milord, I would fight with you," Rebecca ventured. "I'm a fair shot with a bow – I bring in most of the game for my family. I'd like to help drive off those bandits and protect my home." Her green eyes were determined.

Eliwood paused for a moment before he nodded. "Is that so? Then I'll be glad to have you help us – but be careful. I'd hate for you to get hurt."

"Of course, milord!"

"Then we'll get going, if there's nothing else." Eliwood made as if to mount his horse.

"Pardon me," Adelessa spoke up. "Lord Eliwood, it's a pleasure to see you again." She smiled at him and bowed in greeting.

"Aydie!" Eliwood strode over to her; she dismounted and clasped his forearm in the usual Lycian greeting. "Well met! You're looking well. How have you been? What are you doing here?" he asked next. When Lowen opened his mouth to speak, his question obvious all over his face, Eliwood explained, "Aydie and I met during the trouble in Caelin last year. She's quite the talented tactician, if I remember correctly. Lyn survived to meet her grandfather – and Lord Hausen himself probably would not still be with us – if she hadn't helped them!" he added. He looked abashed when he realized that he hadn't given her time to answer her earlier questions.

Adelessa laughed and shook her head to let him know it was alright. "I'm very well, my lord, and thank you for asking." She met his gaze. "I've been traveling to learn of different places and to visit – I left Etruria several months ago and have been traveling through Lycia since. I wanted to let those at Castle Caelin know that I had passed my examination in person."

"Truly? That's good to hear, Aydie – though," he added, dropping his voice so Marcus couldn't hear, "that does mean you may drop the 'Lord' from my name. I don't care much for it – or you could always just have me call you 'Lady Aydie' as fits your new station." He laughed kindly at the brief flash of horror that crossed Adelessa's face. "Then we'll speak as equals. I'm glad we met – I know we could use someone with your skills."

"I'd be happy to put them to use for you, Lo- ah, Eliwood." It was strange to leave his title off of his name, but seeing how his expression brightened when she did made Adelessa decide that it wasn't so bad. _I bet he gets all the "my-lord"ing he could ever want._

"Then we've no more time to waste stalling here," he declared. "The knights of Pherae are spread thinly enough that they won't be able to make it in any sort of time. Marcus, Lowen, it's time we ride." Eliwood swung up into his saddle; Adelessa followed his lead. She offered Rebecca a hand up and the girl boosted up behind her. Lowen pulled Eliwood aside and murmured to him as Adelessa settled into her seat. When they started off, she spurred Rhea forward to follow.

She let the lord and knights lead the way. While she wasn't afraid of this battle – she'd faced much worse than bandits in her time with Lyn – Adelessa had no desire to rush into a fight. She had neither had the time nor the means to pick up any sort of martial skill on her travels. _Maybe when I'm done helping Eliwood – it shouldn't be too big of a deal. Besides, I doubt I'll get into trouble like I did with Lyn. These are just bandits and I'm traveling with knights, for Elimine's sake!_

The ride back seemed even shorter than the ride out; Adelessa wasn't sure how she felt about that, but she was glad to see that there wasn't any smoke curling up into the air. The one village she had helped while traveling with Lyn had been enough to make her thoroughly sick of bandits already. She didn't know if she could stand to see another town ravaged by them. The last one nearly broke her heart.

Loud yells and shouted curses made their job easier: the bandits had lost the element of surprise, so most people had been able to lock up their homes and business. Stymied, the ruffians had fallen to trying to break in with other means. _Good – this means the townspeople are a little safer and the bandits aren't watching for us!_

"Do you have orders for us, Aydie?" Eliwood murmured to her as the group paused at the edge of town. He dismounted from his horse and tied its reins to a post; Marcus and Lowen stayed on their mounts. Rebecca slid down to the ground, stringing her bow and grabbing an arrow. After a moment's hesitation, Adelessa chose to leave Rhea with Eliwood's horse after all. While she was more confident in her horsemanship, she didn't think that she would be that advantageous on the winding streets.

"Is there any chance that we'll get reinforcements?" she asked in return while she tied the knot to keep Rhea at the post.

"I spoke to a couple of mercenaries to see if they'd come with me to speak to Eliwood, but…." Lowen shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea if they'll come. I don't know if they're even in the area still."

Adelessa nodded thoughtfully. "Alright. Well, we can still make this work. Marauding bands like these usually run between five and fifteen men strong. The amount of noise they're making makes it sound like they're sloppy, so they probably won't have anyone watching their backs. We can defeat several enemies in our first wave of attacks – and that's a worst-case scenario. They're like as not spread out through the town. We can pick them off one or two at a time that way."

"A solid plan," Marcus agreed quietly. "Should we follow the main road through the town?"

"That would be best – most of the buildings are along it. The bandits will probably focus on that area more than any other." From the couple of days she'd spent in the town – the roads had been terrible and she had decided to wait for them to dry out after the spring rains – Adelessa knew that the main road took a couple of winding turns to avoid sharp slopes. Because of those double-backs, the road was effectively split into several portions, each out of sight of the others. "If we take advantage of the layout of the town, we should be able to win this skirmish handily."

"Then that's what we'll do," Eliwood agreed. "It seems like a sound plan to me. Marcus, Lowen, follow Aydie's orders. Rebecca, are you sure you want to fight?" he asked once more.

"Very sure, my lord – and you wouldn't mind finding a place for me in your strategies, right, Aydie?"

Rebecca looked up at her with such hope in her eyes that Adelessa couldn't even think of denying her. _There's nothing wrong with wanting to fight for your home – she deserves the chance to fight with everyone else._ "I'm sure I can make it work," she told her. The bright smile from the plucky girl warmed her heart. "For now, stay behind the knights and my lord – I don't want to risk you getting too close to the bandits. Besides, this way we can use your greater range to our advantage."

"Alright!" the girl cheered. "You'll see, Aydie – I won't let you down!"

"I'm sure you won't," Adelessa told her, smiling. "Lowen, Marcus, if you could stay to either side of Eliwood, that would work best – try to keep pace with him when you're not fighting. I don't want us getting separated." She had learned the dangers of unnecessary division in Caelin; she wasn't going to repeat that mistake any time soon! "Rebecca and I will be right behind you."

"You heard Aydie's orders!" Marcus barked when Lowen was slow to respond. The young knight jumped and sat straighter on his horse, snapping to attention. "Hop to it!" Lowen scrambled and spurred his horse forward to go to Eliwood's other side.

_I wonder… is he a squire still?_ Adelessa wondered, watching Lowen rush to follow Marcus' orders. _Either that or the paint's still wet on his shield – regardless, I'll try to make sure that he doesn't get the worst of the fighting._ When she nodded to him, Eliwood started forward on foot. He drew a slender but deadly rapier; Marcus and Lowen pulled out more common longswords.

The group had almost reached at the end of the street when they saw the first bandit. "Wait," Adelessa called quietly, bringing the knights to a halt. "Let Rebecca get the first shot in – do you think you could disable him?"

"I think I can hit his arm or shoulder," Rebecca whispered back. "I'm not sure, though – I'd probably aim for his chest."

"That will work fine," Adelssa said. "That will slow him down enough that one of you can take him out without too much danger. Take the shot when you're ready." Rebecca nodded and drew an arrow from her quiver. She put it to the string and pulled it back to her ear. A short hesitation to aim – then she loosed the arrow. The bandit roared with pain and fury when it sprouted in the meaty muscle between his neck and shoulder.

Eliwood was the first to act; he lunged forward with his rapier. With a few fast attacks, the bandit was on the ground and the red-haired lord waved for the group to follow him. They reformed their formation and turned around the corner-

-to see four bandits waiting for them. Adelessa stopped dead in her tracks – as did the rest of their group – and stared in dismay for a moment. _No time for that!_ Around her the group burst into action. Eliwood flourished his sword and dodged back from an axe strike. Lowen and Marcus charged two different enemies and quickly looped around to return to their lord's side. Rebecca loosed several arrows at the bandits; while a couple missed, several more found their targets and slowed or disabled the ruffians.

A ruckus from behind them made Adelessa risk looking away from the fight. A couple more men approached from behind the group; from where they were on the street and the debris near a store-front, she guessed that they had rushed through a shop in a rather messy shortcut. _Not good,_ she thought nervously. _We don't have enough units to fight on both sides!_

"Hey, ugly!" When Adelessa leaned to the left, she could see two _more_ men standing behind the new bandits. "Whaddaya think you're doing?" A large man – though not as large as his familiar-looking companion – hefted his axe. "Oh – and look, Dorcas! It's just like that knight kid said – that's Lord Eliwood!"

"Who're you?" the bandits snarled, turning away from Adelessa and Rebecca.

"Protectors of the innocent!" the man declared. "Just like Lord Eliwood over there – that's a nice and lordly thing to do, isn't it? Now, I'm not saying _I'm_ a lord, but-"

"You talk too much," Dorcas rumbled. Despite the fight, Adelessa had to work not to laugh; it was just like him to say that to the gabby man with him. "The lordling needs our help."

"You're right, you're right!" Swinging his axe gleefully, the man declared, "Leave all these bandit weaklings to me! I'm Bartre the Brave and you're no match for me!" Bartre and Dorcas crashed into the bandits who had thought to sneak up on the rear of the group and Adelessa figured that they would be more than capable of defeating those enemies.

After that, the bandits didn't stand a chance. Right after that bunch had been dispatched, a couple more trickled over to see what the commotion was. They hadn't even had time to do more than draw their weapons before they were no longer a threat. All in all, the skirmish had lasted only a few minutes – something for which Adelessa was glad. _I've been taking it easy, living like a scholar,_ she thought ruefully as the fighters gathered around her once the dust had settled. She was surprised to see that Dorcas and Bartre hung back behind the four with whom she originally started out.

"Thank you for your help, Aydie," Eliwood told her. "It was a great-"

A joyful and relieved cry interrupted him. "Rebecca!" A man ventured out from a house and ran up to sweep the green-haired archer in a tight hug. "You had us so worried!"

"Father," she said, "your manners – that's Lord Eliwood!"

"Ah!" He let his daughter go and straightened his robes. He wore the modest official robes of a village magistrate and bowed his head to Eliwood. "My apologies, Lord Eliwood. I meant no disrespect in not acknowledging you sooner. Thank you for coming to the aid of the village."

"You're welcome – and think nothing of it," Eliwood replied with a solemn shake of his head. He had put his rapier back at his side and had likely been about to go retrieve his horse. "It's my duty as a lord to protect you."

"If only that was true everywhere, milord," the magistrate said. A bitter smile twisted his lips. "It's not the case – at least not in Laus. The people there don't get any protection from bandits. Marquess Laus – Lord Darin – is too busy raising an army and gathering war supplies to pay any heed to complaints of thieves or hillmen."

The group from Pherae, plus Adelessa, all looked at each other in alarm and horror. "Gathering an army and war supplies – he's preparing for war?" Adelessa asked, hoping that she had misunderstood. "You're sure?" _That can't be – Lycia's a quiet and peaceful place. They haven't had any trouble with their neighbors, not that I've seen or heard._

"Very sure," the magistrate replied, nodding to her. "I had family there – my brother and his wife – until a few days ago. No one knows the cause, but his house burned down. He's been staying here. He refused to have anything to do with Laus anymore, not when it looked like it could go to war at any moment. There's nothing else that the people talk about."

"That's – that's insanity!" Adelessa couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sure, she hadn't been to that part of Lycia, but she couldn't imagine that there was any major threat to the federation over there. "The only thing that he could do with such an army…." Her voice trailed off and the hair on the back of her neck lifted. "The only thing would be to target another Lycian territory." The magistrate made a sign against evil on his chest and drifted off to the side to talk to Rebecca, Dorcas, and Bartre.

Marcus looked as deeply disturbed as Adelessa felt. "This is grave news. A situation like this is unprecedented – there's no reason for Laus to call up an army. None of the other territories have done anything to merit this kind of response. Perhaps, Lord Eliwood, this has something to do with the disappearance of your father. If Lord Darin is moving because he knows your father isn't around to be the normal peace-keeper… perhaps we should ask Lord Darin about his disappearance."

"Marquess Laus and my father?" Eliwood seemed skeptical, but he nodded after a moment. "It's tenuous at best, but it's more than anything else we have to work off of. We'll leave for Laus once we've settled everything here."

"Pardon me a moment, Eliwood," Adelessa ventured, "but you're planning to go to Laus?"

"I'm sure you've heard already," he said grimly, "but my father disappeared a month ago. Normally he wouldn't have been gone this long. If there was any way he could under his own power, he'd be back by now." His dark blue eyes were pinched with worry and he looked a great deal older than his seventeen years. "I've decided to search for him – I planned to take Marcus and Lowen with me."

"Only these two? No offense meant," she added hurriedly, horrified that she may have insulted the knights who rode with him.

"None taken," Marcus assured her. "My lord didn't want to deprive his mother of any guards in case this is a plot against House Pherae. As Knight-Commander, I was entrusted with his care. I decided to bring Lowen along to further his training." Adelessa could read that he wasn't entirely happy with the arrangement, but he couldn't argue with his lord.

"And it's easier to travel in a small group – and harder to attract attention. We don't know where we'll end up, but our work won't be complete until we find Lord Elbert." Eliwood met her eyes. "I'd like to ask you to join us if you don't already have plans for your journey. Someone with your knowledge and skill would be a great help to our quest."

Adelessa hesitated for a long moment to think. It was a big choice to make – there would be a lot of responsibility resting on her shoulders. This wouldn't be as cut-and-dried as Lyn's journey: there she had known when it would be over. Traveling with Eliwood would put her even more firmly in politics and it could end up with her being even more in the spotlight than she had been a year prior – which even that alone was more than she felt safe.

Despite that, she wanted to help him. Not out of debt for his assistance in the inheritance dispute, but rather because he was a good person in a bad situation. It would be hard, true, and possibly uncomfortable and certainly dangerous. Adelessa knew that this wouldn't be quick or simple. And yet she couldn't deny her answer with all of the logic in the world.

"I'd be happy to help you." She really was – this was why she had trained to be a tactician, after all. "As long as I'm of use to you, I'll give you my assistance."

"Truly? You will? That's splendid – thank you, Aydie!" Eliwood grabbed her forearm in the Lycian handshake and beamed at her. "Hopefully we won't give you any reason to make you regret coming with us."

"I'm sure you won't," she assured him. He gave her another thankful look before going over to Marcus and Lowen.

"And where do you think you're going, young lady?" Adelessa cringed out of pure reflex – she'd heard that tone often enough while growing up and with her foster father. "Rebecca, this isn't a game!"

"Father, I know it isn't!" the girl protested. "I…" Pursing her lips for a moment, Rebecca blurted, "I intend to go with Lord Eliwood!"

"Don't be silly! He's not going on a picnic or walk – he's going into danger. He's facing whatever happened to Lord Elbert." Adelessa could hear the worried tones of a father for his daughter and felt a sharp pang of pain and envy. _I wish…_

"I _know_," Rebecca said passionately, "and that's _why_ I want to go! We owe him our lives – I want to repay him for all that he's done to help us. Maybe I'm not the best archer or old enough to go into proper service with the militia, but I'm one more archer than he has now!" Apparently the magistrate knew that look of stubborn determination on his daughter's face. He sighed and tried one more feeble argument when she interrupted him. "And – and I might find Dan. You know he disappeared years ago. You're the magistrate – you have responsibilities! I want to go out and look for my brother. I _need _to do this, Father," she said, pleading. "Let me go."

"You… you're just as stubborn as your mother was." The magistrate closed his eyes and gave his daughter a tight hug. "You have to listen to Lord Eliwood, do you hear? If he wishes for you to return home, you must."

"Of course!" Rebecca stood up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. "Love you!" She dashed off to speak with Eliwood.

Adelessa tried to look away, but she felt a blush creep up her neck when her eyes met the magistrate's. Instead of scolding her or anything else, he came over. "You're the young woman who was staying at the inn with all the books," he said. Adelessa nodded even though it wasn't a question. "I heard from the innkeeper that your eyes don't miss anything. Would… while you're with this group, would you watch over my Rebecca for me? I worry about her."

"Of course," she replied quietly. "I'll do my best to keep her safe."

"Thank you, miss."

_I can only hope that she isn't getting into something way over her head,_ Adelessa thought. She refused to consider that _she_ might be getting into something far larger than she could handle. _After all, _she thought, _I managed to get through all that trouble with Lyn and keep her safe. This can't be as bad as that._

She was unnerved to find that a nervous weight had dropped into her stomach sometime over the course of the conversation. _Can't be that bad. … right?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Phew! For some reason, a lot of this chapter was terribly difficult to write. I had such a bad case of writer's block. (Probably because we're going to meet everyone's favorite lord and everyone's favorite spy next chapter!)

Thanks as always to my reviewers! **DrakeDarkblade**, **To****m-Ato13**, **Sethera**, **MilleniaMaster**, **AquaticSilver**, and **angelbeets!**

Just a heads-up to all of you: it _shouldn't_ be a problem, but I'm moving across the state back to school soon. This shouldn't affect my update schedule right away, but Murphy loooooves proving me wrong. Hopefully I won't have any problems, but I just wanted to let you know in case something does come up. You have my promise that I'll try to keep my updates consistent, though!


	17. Birds of a Feather

Birds of a Feather

In the day since their departure from Pherae, Adelessa found that traveling with Eliwood's group was going to be much different from those who had joined her on her journey with Lyn. Time didn't pass in the same frantic manner that it had then: while urgency was always lurking on the edge of the group's actions and drove them to keep moving, it wasn't anything like the constant pressure that came with the knowledge of Lord Hausen's poisoning.

She'd hardly had a chance to sit down and talk to anyone, even when they made camp that night. Rebecca had immediately turned in, tired out after the strain of combat. Marcus worked with Lowen on his technique with the lance and, surprisingly enough, gave Eliwood lessons about swordsmanship on horseback. She'd been able to talk with Dorcas for a moment before he turned in as well; apparently he was traveling with Bartre as a bandit-hunting mercenary. Natalie had given him her blessing before he left for Pherae when they heard of the new problem with bandits there. Breakfast in the morning had been a hurried affair as they saddled their horses and broke camp.

Even now, traveling on the road, it was hard to break the silence on the group. With Lyndis' Legion, one could always count on Sain, Wil, or Serra to be making some sort of racket. Here, the quiet was hard to break – harder still because Adelessa still wasn't entirely sure of the natures of her companions. While he seemed nice, she would hate to disrupt Eliwood from the quiet contemplation that had him staring off into space as he rode. Marcus was severe enough with Lown at times that she wondered if just talking to him to make conversation would be seen as wasteful. The young cavalier was so distracted trying to keep everything straight and act properly that he probably wouldn't even notice if she started to talk to him. Rebecca seemed as intimidated by the quiet as Adelessa herself was, though she looked just as uncomfortable with the lack of conversation as the tactician.

"Do any of you know," Adelessa finally brought herself to ask, "if this road passes through any other territories on its way to Laus?"

Eliwood and Marcus both dropped back to ride closer to her. "It does," Eliwood replied. Bafflement was thick in his voice, but he humored Adelessa and answered her questions anyways. "We'll be going through Santaruz soon, but that should be the only canton between Pherae and Laus. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering – what if Lord Elbert visited with Marquess Santaruz on his way to Laus? Perhaps he would know something more than what we do," Adelessa ventured. "Even if he doesn't, perhaps we could petition him for help: weapons, food, other supplies. Maybe even soldiers, if he has any that he'd be willing to give us. I know you want to move as quickly as possible," she said hurriedly when Eliwood frowned, "but I don't feel comfortable about going into Laus with such a small group."

"Yes – meeting with Marquess Santaruz to request assistance would be wise." Marcus nodded in agreement with her. "There's a lot of sense in that. It's a good plan, Aydie."

Eliwood nodded. "It really is – I had worried more about being slow than what could happen if there were so few of us. Again, I'm glad you're with us, Aydie." She flushed with pleasure – it had only been a simple observation, really – at his praise and thanks. "Now, then – Lord Helman isn't only a friend of my father. Santaruz is fairly close to Pherae, so I've known him since I was young."

"Do you think that will make him want to help you?" Adelessa asked. While she knew Eliwood to have his head on straight, the problems with Marquess Araphen the year before had her leery of promises of assistance from nobles.

"I'm _sure_ of it," he said firmly. The hard glint in his eyes convinced the tactician that there would be no point in discussing the matter further: Eliwood was positive of his assessment and nothing short of proof otherwise would change his mind.

"What – hold!" Marcus commanded, jerking his horse's reins to the side. A man had reached for the slack in the reins to lead the white horse; he hurriedly stumbled back when the destrier snapped at him in a lightning-fast bite. "You there – what are you after?" the knight demanded.

"Noble sires," he whined, his rough, nasally voice grating on Adelessa's nerves, "alms for a poor villager?" The man spread his hands from his sides and tried an innocent, ingratiating smile. It came off as strained and sleazy instead of appealing.

"Poor villager?" she asked. Her incredulous question snapped the man's attention over to her. "If you're an honest man, I'm a horse!"

"Clear the road," Marcus insisted, "or we'll make you move. Step quickly." Adelessa noticed that he and Lowen both had their hands resting on their weapons; Marcus had the hilt of his sword in his hand and his squire reached for his polearm.

"Step quickly?" the man echoed. His smile turned into a wicked grin and the tactician saw that he was missing a couple of teeth. _Oh, great. This can't end well._ The bandit chuckled and fingered the handle of the axe on his back. "That's good advice, you know. Maybe you should learn to follow it, knight!"

"What?" the older knight growled, glaring daggers at the man before them. He had just enough time to draw his blade before his horse screamed and reared. Marcus shouted and held onto the reins for dear life; Adelessa saw an arrow right next to where one of his horse's hooves had just been. Rhea nearly unseated her at the other horse's distress, but Bartre and Dorcas both supported her and kept her from toppling out of her seat.

"What do you mean, 'follow that advice'?" she demanded.

"Someone wants the boy in an early grave." The bandit pulled out his axe and pointed it at Eliwood. "Maybe a shame – he's gullible enough that we could've worked with him elsewise – but he's not going to live through today!" He cackled with laughter at the dawning horror on their faces. "C'mon, boys! Time to earn your keep, you scoundrels!"

Marcus lunged forward to pursue the brigand when a prematurely fired arrow sank into the ground in front of him. His horse reared up and quickly stepped backward. The older knight barely stayed on the back of his mount.

Adelessa tracked where the arrow had come from. She spotted the archer drawing another arrow to put to the string. Glancing back to the group, she saw that the leader of the group was taking this opportunity to retreat. _I can't worry about that now,_ she decided as she edged closer to Rebecca. _I really need to figure out some subtle hand signals._ "Rebecca," she whispered, "I need you to take out that archer." The girl gave the slightest of nods. When Adelessa pointed at the enemy archer, Rebecca swung her bow up into firing position and loosed her own arrow. It hit home, piercing the man's throat. The man dropped from the tree, landing with a sickening _crack._ _He's done_, she thought, trying not to cringe and only partly succeeding.

When she checked around once more, she saw that the leader of the bandits was out of sight, having likely vanished into one of the many hiding places around the mountain pass through which they were trying to travel. This one was unique in that it had two paths that ran parallel to each other – the main, western one had shops and houses scattered along it and saw the most travelers. Because the eastern one was less used, it was a great deal more overgrown. It boasted a forest and had terrain that was harder for horses to travel, but was kept open for overflow should the main pass get too crowded during the busiest travel times for merchants and lords on progress.

She knew, should they make the last turn and head north on the pass, that the gate to Santaruz' capital would be visible. If they could hold out, there was a good chance that someone on the watch would notice their plight and call for reinforcements, if for no other reason than to check on what was the cause of all the disturbance. _We should be able to hold out until that point as long as this group isn't any larger than a normal bunch of bandits,_ Adelessa judged, looking at her group. _We're well-rested and have skilled fighters… though I'll have to be careful to keep Lowen and Rebecca safe. They'll fight, but I won't send them into the fray like the others._ Satisfied with that decision, she pulled out her spyglass: there would be a lot of ground to cover and it never hurt to keep an eye out for enemies.

Reaching down to pat Rhea's neck, she looked around to find that the group looked expectantly to her. Before she joined up with Lyn, that would have made her freeze. Now she possessed the confidence and grace to meet their eyes in return and calmly issue her orders. "Marcus, Dorcas, Bartre – I want you in the front of the group. Marcus, I need you to ride out toward the eastern pass and tell me how it looks over there. Dorcas and Bartre, I want you to report back to me about how the western pass looks. We'll be following, albeit slower, until you tell us what we should be expecting. I'll decide on a more solid strategy once you've come back."

"Can't we just go out there and deal with them as they come? They're just bandits," Rebecca pointed out as the three left to check the passes. Impatience and anger were thick in her voice.

Adelessa shook her head. "Running into a fight without knowing what it looks like is a good way to get yourself killed," she replied. "Knowing your situation is half the battle of developing tactics." She resisted the urge to worry at her hair – while she meant her words, it was hard not to go charging forward in this case. It was hard to just sit while blind and wait like this when there was a threat to her companions, no matter how much she tried to justify it to herself. _Being ill-prepared means that you're going to get yourself and your charges killed,_ Adelessa reminded herself.

"I couldn't get all the way over to the eastern pass." Marcus' return saved her from having to struggle against herself any longer, though his tone made her worry about their chances for this fight. "There's some rough terrain that my horse couldn't pass. I did see several men over there – if I had to guess, I'd say the enemy is positioned over there."

"The western pass doesn't look that bad," Dorcas reported. He and Bartre were just behind Marcus; they had likely arrived while the older knight had Adelessa's attention.

"Yeah – there's one guy out front, but I can take 'im!" Bartre swung his axe from side to side, chortling to himself. "He looked like a weakling. Dorcas and me have taken on way worse!"

Adelessa took a moment to weigh their options and make sure that she was making the right choice. _There's every chance that we could end up walking into an ambush,_ she realized, _with how they've set up their troops. Still, it's better than over here. There's no defensible positions and we have to press forward. Retreating… we could, but these men could just as easily follow us. They might have a trap lying in wait for just that purpose._ One look at Eliwood let her know that any suggestion of retreat or pulling back would be met with quiet but complete refusal; the young lord had the air of being determined to see this fight through.

Still, she had to try. "Perhaps, Eliwood, this would be a good time to retreat," she ventured. "Trying to fight through all of this… it could be a fool's bargain."

"Perhaps," he replied, though his tone was far from agreement, "but we need to get to Santaruz. I don't want to stop and doubt, not while my father's still out there somewhere."

"As you wish." Adelessa didn't really like his decision, though she could certainly understand it. Who would want to give up on a loved one? "We'll head north through the western pass," she told them. She would have to take a risk and see if it would pan out. _Sometimes you have to go out on a limb._ For some reason, her gut told her that this was the best choice. Usually her intuition served her well, but it was precious little to go on. "As long as Rebecca and I stay in the middle of the group – out of the way of the enemy's direct attacks – we shouldn't need a real formation. Just make sure you stay close and I'll give you orders as needed."

"That sounds fair," Eliwood told her. "Then we'll do that. Thank you for giving this a chance, Aydie." The young lord nodded to Marcus and Lowen; they moved their mounts to flank Eliwood on either side. Dorcas and Bartre fell in behind Adelessa and Rebecca, watching their surroundings warily. All of them knew what their tactician feared the most: this was a good chance for the bandits to catch them in an ambush.

Just as Bartre said, there was a lone bandit where the road split for the two passes. Off the east, the road became more choppy and overgrown; the closer part, however, was as pristine as the other roads in the area. Seeing them, the bandit gave a loud holler and charged at the group. Marcus rode forward to meet him, Lowen just behind him and to his side. The older knight struck a heavy blow to the bandit's shoulder; the man staggered and clutched the joint, staring at the blood the knight's sword had drawn. He crumpled to the ground, lifeless, when Lowen hit him immediately afterward.

"Good job," Marcus said quietly to his squire. Clapping a hand on the young man's shoulder, Marcus returned to Eliwood's side. Adelessa thought Lowen's face would split, he was smiling so widely – apparently Marcus handed out praise sparingly and, at least in Lowen's case, to great effect. She found herself smiling along with the young knight and shook her head at her own folly. _Back to work, Adelessa._ Turning her attention to their surroundings, Adelessa kept her eyes peeled for any suspicious activity.

She was glad for everyone's attentiveness when Rebecca reached up to touch her leg. "Aydie, I think I saw something move over to the north," the archer told her. "It might have been game…"

"It never hurts to check. Thanks, Rebecca," Adelessa replied. She raised her spyglass and squinted one eye shut. The far end of the pass snapped into sharp focus. Her blood froze to ice in her veins: it wasn't game moving that Rebecca had spotted. There was a group heavily-armed men at the end of the road. These weren't common brigands; there were several men with lances, a couple with wicked-looking swords, and a few more who boasted bows of good quality. Adelessa lowered the spyglass and absently rubbed the fabric of her tunic under which her medallion rested. _Those aren't bandits – they must be mercenaries of some sort._ _Still, there aren't_ too _many of them._

"Uh-oh," Rebecca whispered. Adelessa looked sharply to her, then up at the side of the jagged slope that penned them in to the east. _Oh, dear._ There were bandits – or at least men wielding axes – all along the slope in a string of fighters. They were positioned perfectly to fall down and engage their group in a deadly ambush. Suddenly Adelessa was regretting not pressing harder for a retreat from this fight. _Too late to whine about that now. We have to try to salvage this!_

"We need to move!" she ordered. "Charge for the northern end of the pass – we may be able to push through. We can't be trapped in here!" She offered Rebecca a hand and the girl took it, swinging up behind her. Marcus, Lowen, and Eliwood rode hard for the northern end of the pass; with the added weight, Rhea fell behind their great horses' faster pace, though Adelessa and Rebecca stayed ahead of Dorcas and Bartre. Looking back, the tactician could see that bandits had already scrambled down the slope to the south, cutting off any hope of escape in that direction.

The screaming cry of a horse up ahead drew her attention back to the Pheraens. Lowen's mount had a bloody line across one of its legs. It couldn't have been too grave: the horse was still standing and prancing back, so it was likely more pain from the shallow wound than anything that had it upset. Once she had reassured herself that Lowen was still a viable unit for fighting, she took stock of the situation in which they found themselves.

It was disheartening. Fighters were coming up at them from the south and the mercenary band to the north was the reason Lowen's horse had been injured. While the knights and Eliwood – on the ground, she noticed, despite seeing him practice swordsmanship on horseback last night – were holding off the mercenaries well enough. When the fighters caught up to them and the enemy archers moved into a good position, though, she knew they'd be out of luck. Even with Dorcas and Bartre's axes added into the mix, there was no way they could hold out for more than a minute or two against these odds. With one last prayer to anyone who might be listening, she pulled out her spyglass and focused it on the Santaruz Gate.

_They're just... standing there,_ she thought, nonplussed. _The men on the watch are just... watching us get attacked._ Any hopes that she might have had of surviving this fight, of helping Eliwood find his father, were crushed. _Well, we'll show them. Just wait – we can at least make them hurt before they beat us!_

There were orders that she could give now; at this point, it was just down to a frantic melee. All five of her main fighters struggled to keep the mercenaries and bandits both at bay. Rebecca's precise shots started to get sloppy; she was forced to fire faster and with less time to aim. It was obvious that Dorcas and Bartre were tiring: their weapons were heavier and the swings started to slow dramatically because of this. Marcus was breathing heavily; Lowen and Eliwood seemed to be holding up better, but even they had started to pick up nicks and scratches from near misses.

Adelessa could hear the sounds of a more distant fight – a few yells, a scream, the clash of metal – but she didn't spare a glance for it. A couple of the mercenaries did, however; she shouted and Marcus cut them down, having seen that their attention had slipped. "Go!" she yelled, pointing for the break in their circle. The group poured through it, Dorcas and Bartre fending off the mercenaries quick enough to realize what had just happened. _We might just make it – we might just…!_ Arrows zinged past her. One struck Lowen in the arm, making him reel in the saddle.

"How many _are_ there?" Eliwood cried desperately, parrying the attack of a brigand and spearing him through. "This looks-"

"I _know,_" Adelessa told him, ducking low against Rhea's neck, "but we can't give up!" _Even if I'm starting to think there's no way out, I can't give up, I just _can't! She drew her mare back, following the rest of the group as they tried to back toward the Santaruz Gate. Adelessa was the furthest back, though Rebecca was right in front of her.

She screamed when something – some_one_, probably – grabbed her by the back of her tunic and dragged her out of the saddle. Her legs kicked back, trying to connect with her assailant, while her hands groped above her to contact what felt like metal. _What kind of bandit wears full metal gauntlets?_

"Stop squirming, girl, or I'll drop you!" A bass voice rumbled behind her and the owner of the gauntlet shook her. She subsided, deciding to hold _very_ still; whoever this was obviously had more strength than she did. Adelessa knew when to pick her fights. The man who held her set her back on her feet with enough force that her knees nearly buckled. "Didn't anyone tell you the worst place to be with arrows flying is on horseback? Oswin, come with me – time to help Eliwood. We've got to deal with these brigands!"

A bear of a man hurtled past her with an axe at the ready. Adelessa stared for a moment; no wonder he'd been able to pull her out of her saddle without a problem: while not quite of Wallace's stature, the man was _large_; of course, the heavy armor he wore helped, but he still had to be broad underneath it and all the armor in the world couldn't make someone look taller. He easily stood head and shoulders over her. A red cape billowed out behind him, attached to his navy-and-gold armor. Blue hair – of a shade lighter and more vibrant than his armor – was visible; he didn't wear a helm.

An even more heavily armored man followed him, also on foot, holding a spear. While the blue-haired man crashed into the opponents surrounding Eliwood and the rest of his band, the knight approached more cautiously and engaged enemies in a more controlled fashion.

"Eliwood!" It was impossible to mistake that voice; it was deep and loud and the man spoke with a very distinctive cadence. "Are you alright?"

"_Hector?_" The red-headed lord stared at the newcomer. "What are you-?"

"Later!" Even from this far away, Adelessa could see the grin on Hector's face. "We've got these louts to finish off first!" He heaved his axe around and scattered several opponents.

_Hector. Hector… Hector of Ostia? The marquess' younger brother?_ Adelessa stared at the fight; with the arrival of Hector and his knight, the enemies had been thrown off-balance. The fight was beginning to look like it would end as a rout. She could see that several had thrown down their weapons and were fleeing in the face of this new threat. Her knees shaking with relief, Adelessa leaned against her mare to watch the last of the enemies get cut down or flee. _I can't believe that we survived this,_ she thought as the others cheered.

She made it back to the group as a whole just as the fighters started to put away their weapons. "Whew!" Hector wiped his forehead and leaned back, propping himself against a tree. "That looks like it's all of them."

"Hector!" Eliwood hurried over to the other lord. Now that she could see him properly, Adelessa realized that he was younger than she had guessed. He didn't look like he was much older than Eliwood; both were likely in their mid- to late-teens, if she had to hazard a guess. Adelessa had heard _of_ the strong, brash, tactless younger brother of the head of the Lycian League, but she'd never had the dubious pleasure of meeting him. "Where did you come from?"

The Ostian lord laughed heartily. "Well met to you too, Eliwood," he returned, grinning.

"Well, yes, of course, but…." The Pheraen lord seemed rather poleaxed. "What on Elibe are you _doing_ here, Hector?" As happy as he had been to see him, Adelessa saw Eliwood's puzzled frown and could understand his bewilderment: usually lords stayed put, though she was getting the feeling that Hector was anything but "usual".

"You wound me!"

Eliwood was taken aback by his friend's rebuttal. "W… what?"

"You're looking for your father, right?" Hector jabbed a finger into Eliwood's chest, leaning closer to his friend. "Why didn't you tell me? Did you think I wouldn't want to help you out? What kind of lout do you think I am, that I would leave a friend in a lurch like that!"

"Hector, your brother was just named Marquess Ostia," Eliwood replied, using a tone of patient reminder that made Adelessa think that they had arguments like this more than once. The redheaded lord was probably used to his brash friend going off and doing things like this – though perhaps not in this dramatic of a fashion. "He has to be busy setting up his court and the council, not to mention getting his affairs in order. Lord Uther certainly needs your support – you're his brother! You should be there to help him."

Hector shook his head, grimacing. "My brother isn't so weak that he needs my help with all of that nonsense," he replied. "Oh, he's said some things to make the other lords happy and throw off the spies hanging around him, but he knew what I was planning. He let me sneak away." The young lord winced. "Besides, you know I don't have any patience for matters of the court."

Eliwood looked as dubious as Adelessa felt, but he nodded. "Then – if that's so – it would be churlish of me to refuse his offer of help." His worry dropped from his face and he clasped his friend's shoulder in greeting with a smile. "It's good to see you, Hector. It makes me feel a lot better knowing that you'll be with us. Thank you."

Adelessa found herself smiling along with Eliwood. The leader of their group had been grim and quietly determined until now. She realized what had been causing such oppressive silence: it had been the inability to know how to cheer him up and the fact that it felt wrong to idly converse when someone else was in such a poor mood. _Perhaps now it will be easier to be with this group. Thank goodness for strong, brash, tactless lords._

"Now, who's this one?" She blinked when Hector jerked a thumb at her and found both lords staring intently at her. "She was riding around, a nice target for their archers during the fight. Don't you train your people better, Eliwood?" Adelessa felt her cheeks burn bright at Hector's comments. _Tactless indeed! Maybe it's better for Lord Uther to have him_ out _of Ostia!_

"She's not a vassal of House Pherae," Eliwood sighed. "Things got complicated and messy quickly – we weren't watching for something like that and I'm sure it just slipped her mind. Aydie, this is Hector of Ostia. Hector, this is Aydie – she's our tactician. We met near the capital and she helped us with some bandit trouble." Adelessa bowed to Hector with her introduction; she didn't have the skirts for a full bow, nor the full breeches that she could alternately wear as finery, and so couldn't curtsy. _Tacticians are generally seen as male, anyways – it's what's expected of us._ "I decided that I could do with some tactical advice on my search and Aydie agreed to travel with us. She was the one who advised Lyndis and her group during the inheritance dispute a year ago."

"Oh, is that so?" Hector leaned forward to inspect her more closely. Adelessa met his eyes, refusing to back down to the lord: she'd more than earned her right to stand on equal ground with them through her expertise. That didn't mean that she wanted peerage, but she would eat her spyglass before she let herself be pushed around or intimidated by a noble – especially one of her age! "So you're the one who directed that battle plan back there, hm? It seemed a bit shaky to me."

Adelessa tried to will away the burn in her cheeks. "If we weren't as far north as we ended up," she pointed out, making sure her tone was level and polite, "you wouldn't have been able to arrive to help us in time."

"And I was the one who pushed to go through the pass," Eliwood admitted. "Aydie had originally advised that we retreat for now."

"So you hired her for tactical advice and promptly ignored her suggestion?" Hector asked, chuckling. "No, no, don't get all bothered, Eliwood. I think I can understand where you're coming from." He turned his gaze back to Adelessa, a new glint of respect in his eyes as he gave her a second look. "You know, you're quite young – and I've never seen a female tactician before. We have several tacticians at Ostia, but most of them have at least ten, maybe even fifteen years on you. You're sure you're experienced enough for this?"

"I have a spyglass, don't I?" It was a common question – because she was female and so young, most people assumed that she didn't know what she was doing. Even some of those who knew of her work with Lyndis' Legion discounted her victories as luck rather than skill. It was getting harder and harder for her _not_ to take offense when that question came up. _Apparently just getting titled as a tactician and knowing it myself isn't enough. Do I really have to keep proving it to people again and again?_ "It's not just there for decoration."

"Aydie hasn't steered us wrong yet," Eliwood added, stepping in to ease the tension. "She's had sound advice this far. I trust her, Hector." Adelessa relaxed when Hector did and couldn't help but feel warmed by Eliwood's praise. _Or maybe I don't have to prove myself, not for everyone._

"Very well. You know, I think I could get to like you!" Hector gave her a friendly slap on the back that made her stagger forward a couple of steps. "I guess I get to see for myself your skills – we'll be traveling together now, after all. It's good to meet you, Aydie."

"It's good to meet you too, my lord."

"Hector," he insisted. "Weren't you listening? I don't like all that court nonsense. There's no need for that among friends."

"If you say so… Hector."

"Now then!" he continued, apparently satisfied with that. "Eliwood, I brought Oswin with me. Have you met him?" Hector waved forward the knight. Oswin had taken off his helmet – colored a strange shade of burnt orange, like the rest of his armor – and nodded to Eliwood. He had calm black eyes, a stark contrast to Hector's excitable nature. His brown hair had a hint of green in it – _Sacaean heritage, perhaps?_ – and was in messy spikes from being inside the helmet.

"It's good to see you, Oswin," Eliwood answered, grasping the Ostian knight's forearm in greeting. "You came as well?"

"I did," he replied evenly. "Lord Uther worried about Hector traveling alone – he didn't want him to cause more chaos than he could handle. I was ordered to keep a close eye on him."

Eliwood chuckled at that and Hector's expression at the explanation. "Of course! It's good to have you with us – you'll certainly help to keep this hellion in check."

"Hey!" Hector shot a wounded look at Eliwood. His friend only laughed all the harder. He sulked a little when Adelessa couldn't help but join in the laughter with a half-stifled giggle.

"Lord Hector!" A familiar voice startled Adelessa right out of laughter. She remembered it scolding her furiously several times during the trip to Castle Caelin and found herself torn between groaning and laughing harder. "Why didn't you tell me that the fighting was done? It's like you don't want me around!" Serra – looking exactly how Adelessa remembered her – flounced around to the Ostian lord, frowning imperiously at him. "We've been waiting and waiting!" She had walked up from behind him.

"I'm sorry, my lord – I couldn't hold her back any longer," another voice added. It was a quiet murmur, but Adelessa had learned to listen for that voice and get ready to find the nearest place to slip away. All of her amusement faded to anxious dread as Matthew followed after Serra. Luckily for her, he was focused enough on Serra that he didn't even register that she was standing next to Eliwood.

_Is he going to accuse me of fussing with politics again? I can't just up and leave them – I_ promised _Eliwood that I would help him find his father! Spirits, is this what I have to pay for that victory?_ She tried to calm her beating heart, but all of the adrenaline that had surged into her veins was fouling up any efforts to soothe her newly-frazzled nerves. His painful accusations were still fresh in her memory.

"Are these two with you as well, Hector?" Eliwood asked, looking between Serra and Matthew.

Hector looked at the two. "I guess they are. At least they've been hanging on me. You could hope for better, but…." He trailed off and shrugged. "You take what you can get."

"That was uncalled for!" Serra told him. "I can't believe you said that!" She spun and looked at Matthew, indignant. "Did you hear what he said? That's so mean to say something like that about you, Matthew!"

"_Me?_" he asked back, incredulous. "He's talking about _you_, Serra! And it's fair from where I'm standing!"

Eliwood cut off whatever Serra was going to say in return with a well-timed cough. "Hector," he said leadingly, giving his friend a meaningful look, "why don't you introduce us?"

"The noisy one is Serra," Hector said flatly, his face wooden. Serra glared at him; he ignored it. "Believe it or not, she's a cleric."

Serra put on her sweetest face and curtsied neatly. "I'm Serra, in service of the Church of Elimine. It's a pleasure to meet you, my lord." She smiled at Eliwood.

Hector waved at the scowling man next to him. "And this is Matthew. He's good at… you know, sneaking around." They traded a significant glance. Adelessa kept her eyes on a tree several yards away, though she saw Matthew give a short bow to Eliwood.

"Sneaking… around." Eliwood raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Well," Matthew started, "I, er, gather information, open doors and chests, that sort of thing. I've got – well, I suppose you could call them nimble fingers." _He sounds just as uncomfortable explaining that he's a thief as he did a year ago. Well, some things never change._

"That sounds like a thief's work," Eliwood said, his gaze going from Matthew to Hector. There was an obvious question in both his eyes and his tone.

"Well, don't worry about it." Hector waved the concern – and Eliwood's protests – away. "Listen, this isn't going to be easy. The journey's probably going to be long and harder than you think. You need to use everything you've got, you hear me? That means doing some things that you wouldn't back home where your mother could see and disapprove."

"What do you mean by that?" Despite the fact that she didn't want to draw attention to herself, Adelessa had to ask. It took more effort that she had thought it would, but she managed to voice her question. _I'll deal with Matthew when I need to,_ she thought grimly. "Is there something that you know that we don't?"

For a moment, Adelessa thought that Serra would jump over and demand her immediate attention, but Hector held out a hand. She didn't see Matthew's reaction to her presence; she was determined not to look at him. It hurt too much. "Nothing in particular," the Ostian lord replied slowly, "but we've been hearing things – rumors – while traveling. Things like a league of assassins from Bern operating in Lycia, bounty hunters and mercenaries going missing…. Strange things like that."

"That's… rather disturbing." She frowned; that troubling news, on top of what had been said when the bandits attacked them…. "When we were attacked, the leader of the bandits – that man there-" and she waved at one of the bodies nearby "-made it sound like someone's watching Eliwood. More than that, someone wants him dead. And… it looked like the men from Santaruz weren't going to do anything to help, despite the law requiring one to help a lord in peril if able in the Articles." That was one of the less commonly used laws in the founding laws of the Lycian League, but it was an important one for their case.

"They weren't." Hector's voice was grim. "We had to fight through several Santaruz men to get to you. They were intending to watch you die – the captain of the guard, even though he was a knight of Santaruz, wasn't going to lift a finger to help you. He was just watching the fight, as if it wasn't his problem."

"If that's so – and you said that you were friends with Marquess Santaruz, Eliwood, so I can't imagine that he wants you dead – it's likely that something's gone terribly wrong. Perhaps something happened to Lord Helmen." The grim faces around her confirmed her worry; it had occurred to both of them, as well, which meant that she wasn't just jumping to the worst possible conclusion all on her own. "We need to get to Santaruz castle, now more than ever. How long a ride is it?"

"It should only be a couple of marks with people on foot," Marcus answered from the other side of Eliwood. "Unfortunately, we'll have to stay at that pace. We don't have enough horses for everyone to ride."

Eliwood looked over at Hector. "You walked here?"

Hector had the dignity to look sheepish. "I didn't really think things through before I headed out."

"Well, we'll just have to accept that it will take that time, then. There's nothing we can do to change it now." Adelessa shook her head. "Serra, I'd like you to see to the group. Heal any wounds that you see."

Instead of going off to do so, the cleric launched herself at Adelessa and gave her a tight hug. She squealed and pushed Adelessa so she was at arm's length. "You're just like you were then! It's so good to see you, Aydie!" Serra beamed at her. "You missed me, didn't you? Oh, don't worry – you don't have to answer and embarrass yourself. I know you did. How couldn't you? But don't worry – I'll be here to take care of you again! You're so lucky," she informed her seriously.

Adelessa smiled despite herself. "I am indeed, but this isn't the time to be catching up," she said, gently reminding Serra that she had a job to do. "Here – I need to go back to Rhea anyways. I'll walk you over." _And hopefully Matthew will keep his distance._ The two lords were looking at the gate; from the way they stood, she'd guess that they were talking. That meant that neither of them would be distracting Matthew, leaving her open for more interrogation.

All the hope in the world didn't help her. "Aydie!" She tried not to cringe when he called her name and pretended like she hadn't heard him, continuing to check Rhea for any injuries from the fight. "Aydie!" He was closer. She closed her eyes and prayed that the earth would open up and swallow her whole.

She could see him at the far edge of her vision. Her stomach was roiling; Adelessa felt like she was going to be sick. Hiding her trembling hands by gripping part of the saddle, she asked, "What do you want, Matthew?"

"I want a word with you, Aydie."

"A word?" Her calm mask slipped away from her. "Like the ones we had a year ago? Thanks but no thanks, Matthew – I'm pretty sure I've had enough of your paranoid poison." _I'm going to be ill. Oh, spirits, this is terrible._

"Aydie-"

She decided that she didn't want to risk listening to anything else he had to say. "Fine, listen – when we get to Santaruz, I'll see if I can't find another tactician for Eliwood." Still not looking at him, Adelessa got up into the saddle. "Then I'll leave and you can be happy when I'm gone again." She wheeled Rhea around to join up with the Pheraen knights; with luck, Matthew wouldn't join up with them.

"Adelessa-"

"Just let it drop, Matthew," she spat bitterly. "We're done talking." Squeezing her knees, she urged Rhea forward – and away from the thief.

That wasn't how she had expected the conversation to go; she had planned on being calmer and less hurt. She had thought that after a year, the cutting pain of his words would have eased enough that she could talk to him without wanting to run away. _Apparently I was wrong._ Most of her was hurting, wanting to get as far away as possible. A small part of her hoped that her rudeness made him feel some of what he'd done to her, though she tried to ignore it; it made her feel terrible.

"Are you alright, Aydie?" Lowen's voice sounded odd coming from inside his helmet. "You look upset."

Adelessa tried to give him a smile; she wasn't sure how successful she was. "Well enough," she replied. "Don't worry about it. Look – Hector and Eliwood are starting off. We should follow them." The young squire took the hint and let it drop; Adelessa was glad for that. She hunched into her saddle and settled in for two marks full of trying _not_ to think about the thief walking somewhere behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Whew! The first part of this chapter didn't want to cooperate with me, but once I hit the combat it started to fly off of my fingers. ^_))) But here you go! We get to meet Hector and Oswin (wonderful characters, both of them) and are reunited with Serra and Matthew! Yaaay! Except apparently a year didn't help their relationship any.

Thanks as always to my reviewers! You make me so happy! **MilleniaMaster**, **DrakeDa****rkblade**, **Sethera**, **Tom-Ato13**, **Aq****uaticSilver**, and **angelbeets** - your continued support is always appreciated! :3 You guys help so much. Also thanks to my friend Ryan who's started to beta these for me and make sure they all make sense. X3

I'll be moving back to school this weekend and starting up a 20-credit term. I'll try to keep up with updates (it's amazing what you can get done during a lecture), but I may miss one here or there. I'm asking for forgiveness in advance and hoping that it won't be a huge problem. I can, however, tell you that this fic isn't going to die! It might miss a few updates, but I plan on seeing this puppy through to the end. :3


	18. In Search of Truth

In Search of Truth

Luckily for Adelessa's poor, overwrought nerves, the two marks passed without incident. Hector and Eliwood were at the front of the party, talking. If it bothered Hector that he had to look up at his friend to talk – Eliwood was in the saddle – he did a very good job of hiding it. Adelessa rode shortly behind them with the Pheraen knights. Lowen was a quiet traveler, as was Marcus, but the squire and Rebecca talked off and on during the journey. It helped give her something to think about other than her conversation with Matthew.

_Not that it was really a conversation,_ she thought with a cringe. The Ostians were behind her, but this was far from a case of "out of sight, out of mind." _But I couldn't stand to listen to him more. I... I don't want to think about what else he might want to say._ She realized that she was chewing anxiously on her lip and immediately stopped.

_Next thing you know, I'll be pacing again. I thought I would have enough of this anxiety after all that happened with Lyn!_ To be fair, Adelessa had to admit that she had plenty about which to be nervous. Things had quickly gone from a few skirmishes with bandits to an obviously well-planned attack by hired thugs. If not for Hector's timely arrival with Oswin at his side, their group would have been overwhelmed and defeated – and these men had been out for blood. _No prisoners for that lot._

_And the fact that they were after Eliwood himself... there's every chance that Eliwood's father is somehow tied to this._ Frustration made her sigh. _If only I had more of the pieces of this puzzle, then I could figure out how it fits together._ It was hard for her to admit that she didn't have any idea of what was going on. Her gut was telling her that she would find out, though, and probably in the least pleasant way possible.

"We're here," Hector called back. Looking up, Adelessa saw the castle and the town that surrounded it before them. Like Caelin, Santaruz' capital was graced with a couple of rivers that irrigated the nearby land. There was a wide bridge to the south. Shops and houses peppered the stretches along the road to the castle. The castle itself was just west of the bridge, standing proudly over the town that surrounded it. It was an impressive castle; while she hadn't seen all of the capitals of the Lycian territories, Adelessa could see why people said that this one was second only to the Ostian castle and keep. Even from here she could see the flying buttresses and the dizzingly tall towers that reached up as if to snag the clouds. "Castle Santaruz."

Shaking herself out of her impressed daze – she was far more used to elaborate Etrurian villas or rough, functional forts along the mountain borders – the young woman urged her mare forward. "We need to check on Lord Helman – we should hurry to the castle," she told the two lordlings. "It shouldn't take that long now-" She stopped when Hector held up a hand. "What...?"

"Who's there?" he demanded, dark blue eyes darting around them. They lingered on a copse of trees nearby that snugged up next to a modest house just across the river. "Show yourself!"

"Can't believe I was spotted by a kid like you." A balding man came out of the woods, his dark, dull blue armor a color not associated with Santaruz. Adelessa was startled by how quietly the man moved in all of his armor; while nowhere near as quiet as, say, Matthew when he was skulking around, she'd completely missed his presence. "I don't think I can let you go talk with the marquess."

"What? Who are you?" Eliwood demanded, going up to the riverbank. His knights rode forward to join him; Adelessa could hear that at least Oswin was coming up to support his lord.

"Me? Oh, boy, you'd do better to worry about yourself." The man gave them a wicked, sickening grin that was visible even from this distance. "You'll be food for the worms soon enough."

"Keep your name," Hector snarled, hefting his axe in a blatant threat. "Why should we care what someone calls a dead man? You'll see that we aren't the ones who end up worm meat!"

Hector only became more incensed when the man outright laughed at him. Only Oswin's hand grabbing his arm kept him from lunging and carrying out an ill-conceived plan. "So the pup thinks he's a wolf, does he? Well, we'll see if your bite matches your bark – if you make it to the castle in one piece, we can fight it out and see." He laughed again and walked away; the laughter lasted longer than the sight of him.

"Why'd you stop me, Oswin?" the blue-haired lord growled, his eyes flashing dangerously at his knight. "I might have had him-"

"Not with spring melt in the river." His head turned to Adelessa; she flinched inwardly at his glare, but she couldn't just sit there and let him scold Oswin for a correct call of judgment. "The river's faster, colder, and deeper than normal right now – perhaps you could ford it on your own normally, my lord, but not in these conditions with your armor and weapons."

"Didn't I tell you not to call me 'my lord'?" he asked after a moment. Adelessa took that as a sign that he'd decided that she was correct; he didn't seem inclined to continue venting at Oswin, at the very least.

"Why do these men want to kill me?" Eliwood asked. His voice was as troubled as the expression on his face, drawing the attention of the party clustered around him.

"No time for that now, Eliwood," Hector said firmly. "We can wonder about that _after_ we've taken care of these louts."

Apparently that did the trick. While still troubled, Eliwood visibly pushed it to the side and focused determination took its place. "You're right," he said, his voice stronger. "Thank you, Hector. Perhaps that man will have answers for us."

"He certainly knows something we don't – and now I'm sure that something's going on in Santaruz," Adelessa agreed. She was starting to really worry now: this situation was rapidly spiraling larger and larger with no clear end. There wasn't even really a goal or an enemy she could see, only that whomever it might be didn't want Eliwood breathing anymore. _And anyone with him, I'm sure, is fair game as well._ "We need to hurry to the castle." 

"What's your advice?" Eliwood asked. "He must have troops lying in wait for us."

"I'm sure he does," she agreed. Looking around briefly – she didn't want to hesitate long here, not when she thought that the enemy would be coming after them soon – Adelessa saw that there was a snag off to the northwest that would let a few people cross the river there, but it would take a fair amount of time. That was more than she was willing to waste, but there _were _a couple of houses up there that might have some information... "Dorcas, Bartre, there's a dead tree over there," she pointed out. "I want you to go over there and knock it down. See if there's anyone in the village over there who knows what's going on. We'll be making plenty of noise and drawing attention over here, so you should be safe. Don't fight if there are too many enemies, though – come catch up with us if you see a large group."

"The mighty Bartre can get that done! I'm worth ten of these yellow-bellied cowards!"

"It's the eleventh yellow-bellied coward that gets you." Adelessa could only just hear Marcus' wryly murmured comment because she was next to him. "What would you have us do, Aydie?" he asked, projecting his voice so she could easily hear.

"The rest of us will go as a group to the south and take a direct approach toward the castle," she replied. "We'll move as quickly as possible without leaving anyone behind. The bridge to the south is wide enough that we shouldn't have too much trouble in crossing over it with a group our size. If we're smart, we should be able to get through here without too much trouble. I'd like the knights in front – you have the best defense. Eliwood, Hector, I'd like you after them to be a second wave of attackers. Rebecca, Matthew, Serra – you'll stay in the back with me for support. Agreed?"

"Understood – we'll follow your orders, Aydie." Eliwood nodded to her. "It sounds like a good plan."

"At least you're actually listening to her this time. And I don't like being in the second row," Hector grumbled, "but I guess I don't have a choice in the matter. Lead on, Oswin."

"Follow me, Lowen – and take care to guard that flank," Marcus added. The two Pheraen knights took to either side of Oswin, their swords at the ready. Adelessa slid off of her horse; the last thing she wanted was for Hector to haul her out of the saddle in the middle of a fight again. After enough time traveling together over the past year, Rhea had, like all Sacaean plain horses, learned to follow her without bolting. _Only one of the many reasons that they're better than pretty much any other steed on Elibe._

She waited for Eliwood and Hector to pass her by before she started forward behind them. Rebecca hurried up on her left, her bow strung and ready. She figured that the slight person crowding up to her back was Serra, if only because she saw Matthew lingering on the far side of Rebecca out of the corner of her vision. Determined not to let him rattle her any further than he already had – she had a job to do, curse it all! - Adelessa followed after the two lords.

"The enemy's ahead!" Lowen called; he surged forward with Marcus at one of several axe-wielding men in their way. Knowing that the group was on its way gave their enemies extra time to prepare and an edge; instead of breaking and running, like the men they had fought in the pass, these met them with savage force. Marcus' sword sank deep into the chest of one of them, staining the blade crimson. When he went to do the same, his squire didn't achieve the same amount of success; he was nearly unseated when he barely deflected a strike from one of them. Oswin stepped in and rescued him with a well-placed lance thrust directly to the throat of his attacker.

Eliwood darted forward; his rapier stabbed and downed another man. Hector, in contrast to his friend's finesse, roared and charged into the cluster, swinging his axe in a clearing sweep around him. Rebecca's bow sang as she loosed an arrow; one man dropped his axe and clutched his shoulder. Matthew picked him off even while Oswin, Marcus, Eliwood, and Hector formed a wedge that cut through the enemies.

"Look out!" Adelessa snagged Rebecca and Matthew – her by the back of her shirt, him with a fistful of his cloak – and dragged them both to the ground. Dropping to her stomach along with them, an arrow whistled through the air. _That's where Rebecca's head was,_ she thought queasily. There wasn't time to sit and meditate on that, though: the three of them were sitting ducks if they just sat here. Matthew was already rolling to one side, popping back up to his feet and diving into the fight again. She and Rebecca scrambled less gracefully, once again barely avoiding an arrow.

Luckily for the them, the archers found themselves facing a far more immediate threat: Lowen, having recovered from the blow from earlier, came up behind them. One was summarily killed with a sharp slash of his sword; another went down – _hard_ – when the cavalier's horse kicked him. When no arrows came flying at her after several seconds, Adelessa risked looking around. Marcus had just finished the last of the archers. The rest of their enemies laid on the ground, unmoving.

"Well, that _was_ impressive!" A woman's cackle made Adelessa halt and turn. A hunchbacked old lady stood near a house, grinning at her and leaning heavily on a knobbly cane. "Now you're a right bunch of ruffians, aren't you?"

"We're not-"

"Oh, tut. Hush and listen – there's something going on at the castle. If it continues, there'll be all kinds of trouble around here. That's terrible for charm-making, you know." The wizened old woman hobbled over and thrust a glass jar in Adelessa's hands. "Use this – it's an invention of mine. It's a mine – if someone steps on it, the explosive magic in it will... well, you know." Her eyes twinkled with gleeful mischief. "Go on! Take it. Hide it somewhere. These kinds never expect something like this." She laughed gleefully all the way back into her home, shutting the door loudly behind her.

Adelessa stared, poleaxed, at this development.

"Does this normally happen to you?" Rebecca asked.

"No, but I'm glad it did this time," Adelessa admitted. She looked at the deceptively innocent-looking orange liquid in the glass container. _Use what you have at your disposal,_ she thought with a mental shrug. "Let the others know that they should stay back," she told Rebecca. "I want to try this out and see if it's actually worth using."

The girl scurried off to let the others know; most of the group was still at the battle site, moving the bodies off into the woods to hide their work. Serra was tending to Lowen's injury. Hector, Oswin, and Matthew formed a small knot; they looked like they were deep in discussion about something. Marcus and Eliwood were, she supposed, watching for Dorcas and Bartre to come back; they were looking that way, at least. Rebecca stopped to talk to them first.

_Well, no time like the present._ Adelessa snuck forward, using the slight foliage around her to help give her some cover. She had gotten close to the bridge – not right up against it; she had no idea how powerful this mine might be and didn't want to risk their chances of getting across it – and had sprinkled some dirt over the shallow hole in which she hid the mine when she heard shouts. Looking up, she was greeted by the sight of several soldiers with swords and lances both running at her over the bridge.

She scrambled to her feet and took off. The shouts turned into angry yells. Adelessa didn't look back; while the road was clear, she didn't want to throw herself off-balance or miss something on the off-chance that there _was_ going to be something in the road. _The last thing I need is to fall with armed men behind me!_ When the sound of her pursuer's footsteps changed from the clomping steps on the bridge to the more muted sound of boots on dirt, she slowed and started to turn.

"What have you done _now?_" Matthew's exasperated question startled her. To his credit, he seemed to have anticipated her reaction fairly well: he had stood far enough away that he didn't get clipped by her instinctive jump and spin. "Were you really going to go see if you could sneak by them?"

"No – there was something-"

**KAH-BOOM!**

Adelessa staggered – the shockwave that buffeted her nearly threw her off of her feet. Matthew fared just as badly; he didn't quite go down to one knee, but he swayed with the impact. Her ears ringing in protest of this new abuse, she straightened and stared behind her. The soldiers that had been running after her were nowhere to be seen; instead, there was a thick cloud of smoke, dust, and dirt that was slowly churning. Through it she could just barely see a crater that took out part of the road.

"What in all the elder magics was _that?_" Matthew asked shakily. For the first time, he looked at Adelessa with a mixture of respect and blank astonishment.

She took a breath to respond and promptly sucked in a lungful of dust. Once her coughing had eased, she croaked out, "A mine. I guess I'd better tell the lady that her invention works, um, pretty well. Quite well." She could hear people shouting in alarm from the other side of the bridge now that her hearing was recovering.

The rest of the group ran up, weapons bared and at the ready. Adelessa assured them that the explosion was her doing and there was nothing to worry about, but that there would be enemies coming. While it took some work, eventually she had soothed even Serra. By then, the dust had settled and she could see a myrmidon – a Sacaean swordsman, renowned for their lightning-fast sword style – was looking around on the other side of the bridge.

"Wait a second..." Matthew murmured. He narrowed his eyes and took a few steps forward; Adelessa, not entirely trusting what he was up to, followed him. "You! You look familiar!" The myrmidon – dressed in a Sacaean tunic dyed blue – drew his sword and pointed it at them. Adelessa threw her hands up in the air to show she was unarmed along with Matthew and studied the swordsman. His dark green hair was held back by both a tie at the nape of his neck and a band of cloth tied around his forehead. "Ah-hah! I do! Your name is Guy, isn't it?"

"It's – is that you, Matthew?" The sword's tip lowered almost imperceptibly.

"You just know everyone, don't you?" Adelessa asked him quietly.

"That's my job!" he replied cheerfully. "What a nice surprise, seeing you here," he called to Guy, giving a jaunty wave. "How's your swordswork coming?"

"This isn't exactly a good place to catch up, you know," Guy said. His sword pointed back up at them; Adelessa raised her hands up higher, suddenly regretting her decision to follow Matthew. _At least the rest of the group should follow us once they see what's going on here._ "We're not on the same side. We're supposed to be fighting each other, remember?"

"What?" Matthew gave Guy an exaggerated look of hurt and surprise. "You're going to fight me? You'd do that to me?"

"Well... yeah." Guy was as confused by Matthew's antics as Adelessa herself. "I'm much improved now, too – you can't hope to beat me. Sorry."

Matthew heaved a sigh; Adelessa caught sight of the briefest flash of a grin before his expression somehow turned both disappointed and sly at the same time. "I don't know what to do about that – you're quite the terror, Guy. If we can't avoid it... no, wait a minute!" Adelessa and Guy both looked at him in surprise as he leaned forward and pointed at Guy, who had closed to meet them on the bridge. She wondered if the myrmidon could see the wickedly amused glint in Matthew's eyes. "I think I'd rather you paid me back now."

"What?" Both the tactician and the swordsman looked at Matthew like he was addled.

"Remember – the last time I saw you, I gave you food," Matthew said. "If I'm right – and I usually am – you said that you owed me your life."

"I-I only said that so you would give me some food!" Guy's voice was flustered and two patches of red formed on his cheekbones. "I hadn't had anything to eat for a week and a half and you were cooking meat! You – you – this – _this isn't fair!_"

"The people of Sacae never lie!" Matthew singsonged, grinning at Guy. _He knows he's won. It's just a matter of how long it will take Guy to admit it and give up._

Apparently, not very long. "Oh, fine," Guy snapped, shoving his sword back into its sheath. "It figures – I finally find work and now I get to throw it away because of some dumb promise to a thief. This is all your fault," he growled at Matthew. When the thief only smiled brightly at him, he turned and gave Adelessa a long look instead. "Are you as bad as your friend here?"

"I like to think I'm nicer than him," she said as diplomatically as she could. "I'm Aydie – do you mind adding your strength to ours? It would... well, it would help. A lot."

The myrmidon heaved a long sigh. "No, I don't mind. At least you seem to be a decent person." He shot a nasty look at Matthew, who feigned at being hurt, just as the rest of the group finally caught up to them.

"Aydie, are you sure that you should keep running off like that?" Eliwood asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If you had run into some enemies... that could have ended badly for you."

"Oh, don't worry!" Matthew piped up before she could respond. "I was there to make sure she wasn't going to be hurt. No need to worry about it, Lord Eliwood. It was all under control." The thief ignored her confused and then irritated look, smiling brightly at the redheaded lord.

Looking between the two, Eliwood must have decided that he really didn't want to ask. "If you say so. Just be careful, Aydie – I know you want to keep us safe, but you need to take care of yourself as well."

"I will," she promised. She waited until Eliwood looked away to shoot Matthew a "_we're-going-to-have-words-about-this-later_" look. Either he ignored her or was unfazed by it; he trotted over to his lord when Hector called for him. Adelessa watched him go, confused and not a little suspicious. _Now what's all this about?_ Shaking her head, she decided it wasn't worth puzzling over; there was still the last approach to the castle that she had to consider.

"Aydie?" She turned when she heard Dorcas. "There wasn't much up to the northwest – we just made it back. We found some torches, but I don't believe that they'll be terribly useful."

"No, but it's never a bad idea to have supplies," she told him. "Thank you, Dorcas. I'll have further orders for you in a few minutes." Dorcas returned to the group, standing near Bartre and introducing himself to Guy. By this point, the myrmidon had met the rest of the group.

"We need to be careful, but I believe we won't have a problem getting to the castle," she said after consulting her spyglass and taking a good long look at the approach. "If we take the same formation as earlier – Dorcas, Bartre, I'd like you to watch our backs just in case there are reinforcements coming in – we should be fine. Guy, I'd like you to stay with Eliwood and Hector during the fight, if you wouldn't mind." Pausing to see if there were any objections, she looked around the group. "Then let's head out. There's no time to waste."

The approach to the castle was even easier than Adelessa expected it would be; with the addition of Guy as a fighter, the soldiers up against them fell quickly. If she had to compare them, she'd say that Guy and Lyn were of roughly the same level of skill. While he might be frailer without the kind of armor that the knights used, he was fast enough that none of the slower enemies could touch him. With his extra assistance, the group found themselves arrayed at the gate to the castle.

The armored man who had hailed them across the river stood squarely in front of the entrance into the castle walls. "Pah! I should have known better than to pay for that _worthless_ pack of mercenaries and sellswords," he spat. "Fine, you cubs – come and taste my lance now that you've made it this far!" His lance glinted as he leveled it at them.

"Lowen, Marcus, flank him!" Adelessa murmured just loudly enough for the Pheraens to hear her. "Hector, follow up – with your axe, you should be able to at least break his lance, if not defeat him outright."

"I like your plan," Hector replied, grinning. Oswin sighed somewhere behind Adelessa; she could have sworn that she heard something to the effect of "another excuse for violence," but she wasn't sure. _Though that sounds like something Hector would want,_ she thought wryly as the three ran forward. While Lowen and Marcus had the same range as their enemy with their lances, he could only hope to block one of them. Wisely, he chose to deflect Marcus' attack; Lowen only dented in his chest armor, though Adelessa could hear that his breathing went from being easy to wheezing in and out thanks to the damage.

He never had a chance against Hector. The lord's axe crashed into him and cleaved through the armor. It was obvious as Hector stepped away that the armored man wouldn't be getting back up – the wound sank deep into his chest. "You... you may have beaten me," he gasped, glaring at the group, "but you can't save him now. Too- too bad, huh?" He laughed, red bubbling up and dribbling from the corners of his lips. With a terrible gurgle, his breathing stopped.

"Too late?" Hector asked. Puzzled, he looked over at Eliwood.

"We have to get in the castle," he said. "I have a terrible feeling about this."

Eliwood, being the most familiar with the castle, was the first one inside and led the group. Adelessa was right behind him, glad that she was wearing her close-fitting breeches instead of the skirts that young women usually wore. _This would be so much worse with skirts or a dress,_ part of her mind babbled. The sinking feeling in her stomach was a terrible counterpoint to the inanities that her mind was letting surface in her trepidation. The rest of the group was keeping pretty good pace behind them.

Turning into the room that served as the lord's ruling seat, Eliwood groaned. Adelessa looked away from the chair on which Marquess Santaruz slumped; red soaked the wood and gilding, red glaring in her mind's eye. "Lord Helman!" Eliwood cried, rushing to his side.

There was a bit of life left in the old man; his eyes were glassy and too much blood seeped from a mortal wound in his back, but something was keeping him awake and aware for this moment. "Is... is that you, Eliwood?" he managed, his voice no more than a bare whisper.

"Hold on, my lord!"

"I... I must apologize..." Lord Helman's eyes wandered along the ceiling. When Adelessa looked up, she saw nothing that would keep his attention. "Your father... he..."

"Do you know something, sir?" she asked, leaning over him from the other side.

"I... if I hadn't... hadn't told Elbert," he labored to say, "about all this... about Darin's plans... this never..." His voice cut out in a weak cough.

"My lord!" Adelessa leaned over him more. "Please, stay with us-"

"Go to Laus!" he said forcefully, his hand gripping her arm. The fingers were ice-cold and shaking, but his grasp was strong. "Go to Darin... the lord of Laus... knows all." He gasped and the light in his eyes started to dim. "I'm sorry, Eliwood," he apologized, his voice feeble once more. "I... I can't..." Once more, his eyes focused on Adelessa. "Beware them. Beware... the Black... Fang..." His hand fell from her shoulder; it hung limply, unresponsive even as Eliwood tried to gently shake the marquess awake.

Adelessa found herself staring into the dead lord's eyes in unwilling comprehension. _The Black Fang. Them again – now they've popped up and killed this lord. Perhaps they're the ones out to kill Eliwood, too._

"We need to go to Laus," she said absently. Eliwood and Hector were the only ones close enough to her to hear what she said. Their conversation stopped.

"Don't you give orders," Hector told her, his voice dangerously quiet. Part of her – the part that didn't feel oddly numb at this most recent revelation – realized that she was flirting with disaster when Hector's voice went quiet like this. "Not when we've got more than just your battle-based things going on, and Eliwood-"

"Hector!" He fell silent when Eliwood said his name sharply. "Aydie's right. We need to speak with Marquess Laus. If it's true that Lord Darin is behind this, we have to go to him to get to the bottom of things."

"Are you sure?" Hector asked. "Lord Helman-"

"-told us that we need to go to him. Not now," Eliwood said, "because there's the announcement of Lord Helman's death to make and our duty as lords to settle things on his estate, but we'll ride for Laus in the morning."

"I... yes, you're right." Hector looked about as pleased as he would if someone had pulled out a tooth. "We'll start for Laus in the morning, then." The blue-haired lord left to go find those who needed to be informed of Lord Helman's death.

"I'm sorry we couldn't get here faster, Eliwood," Adelessa said, her voice tiny. "If I had gotten us here sooner..."

"It's not your fault, Aydie. You did the best you could." Eliwood sighed, his shoulders slumped with grief. "We have to give him a proper burial and the Lycian Council will meet. We won't be able to expect any help from the lords while they're in committee over this, especially not with how this castle will need all of its defenses." He closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Lord Helman, I hope you find peace."

Adelessa hesitated before she bowed and left the room; she could sense that Eliwood needed time alone. _Or at least I would want to be alone after this happened,_ she thought sadly. _Everything seems to be working against him. Poor Eliwood._

The afternoon and evening passed somberly and quietly. Dinner was a solemn affair; the group splintered off into its own parts once it was over. Unwilling to be alone in such a sad atmosphere, Adelessa grabbed the book about the Scouring and followed Eliwood and his knights out into the practice field. She picked a spot especially near a torch to sit and read; on occasion, she'd glance up to watch Eliwood practice horseback swordsmanship or Lowen take runs at a quintain.

One of those times she saw not the Pheraens, but a swath of red directly in front of her. Leaning back, her eyes focused it into Matthew's cloak. "Good evening – you know, I had a terrible time trying to track you down," he told her. "May I have a word?"

Adelessa wanted to tell him to go away, but now she couldn't think of a way to do it without sounding churlish. With a sigh, she said, "Be my guest."

He sat next to her and watched Eliwood and Lowen practice under Marcus' watchful eye. Adelessa wished he'd just say what he wanted to say; the silence made her want to crawl up one side of the castle and down the other. Her mouth was as dry as the Nabata desert and it was all she could do to keep from fidgeting. "I..." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and looked over at her. "I want to apologize, Aydie."

"What?" Of all the things she thought he was going to say, "I'm sorry" wasn't one of them.

"I treated you unfairly," he said quietly but intensely. "There was – I'm a spy for Lord Uther. There had been an attempt on his life shortly before I was sent out on assignment and my suspicions blinded me. I had meant to speak to you again before you left Caelin, but..." He gave her a crooked smile. "You're very good at disappearing, you know that? Whenever I caught wind of you it was too late to catch up with you."

"I... so you're not going to try to have me thrown in jail for muddling with Lycian politics?" Adelessa asked.

"Nope!" Matthew tried giving her a smile. "I know you don't like me very much, but I just wanted to clear the air. And I know how I'm going to make it up to you."

"What?" Adelessa wondered if she'd ever stop feeling off-balance when she was talking with Matthew.

"Have you learned to fight yet?" When she didn't meet his eyes, Matthew hummed. "That's what I thought." He tossed something at her; she fumbled it in the air and didn't quite catch it. It thunked into her lap. She unwrapped the plain canvas around it and found a knife in a sheath. "You don't have the strength to lug around an axe like my lord and it's not your style, anyways. You're fast enough that you can learn to fight with a knife instead."

"But-"

"No buts!" he scolded her cheerfully. "You need to at least be able to defend yourself if someone gets to you. Imagine if Guy hadn't listened to me."

"I... alright." Adelessa turned the knife over in her hands. "I suppose I could give it a try."

"Good! Then I expect to see you at whatever training area we use every night. You won't get any better if you don't practice, after all." He gave her one last grin and turned to go away.

He made it a few steps before Adelessa found her voice. "Wait – Matthew?" He stopped and turned to her. "Thank you. For telling me that, I mean. And for teaching me, too."

"It's the right thing to do. You're welcome." He left then, leaving Adelessa to stare at the knife in her hand and think.

**A/N:** So sorry that this is late! _))) School made like a bear and mauled me in the face. But I tried to get it up ASAP. Hopefully this won't become a habit. _)))

Thanks to my reviewers, **Liv, Patattack, Sethera, Tom-Ato13, AquaticSilver, Drifbilim, MilleniaMaster, DrakeDarkblade, **and** angelbeets**! You guys give me warm fuzzies on the inside. :D Also, many thanks to my friend **Ryan** for being my beta – you make sure I don't fumbleruski these chapters! ^_)))

See you next week!


	19. The Peddler Merlinus

The Peddler Merlinus

The preparations for Lord Helman's funeral and getting everything in order to allow the Council to name a proper replacement took longer than Adelessa had anticipated. In all, it took the entire next day to get affairs in order. The sun was already sinking toward the horizon by the time they got on the road.

"I don't know how far we'll get," Adelessa had warned Eliwood when he mentioned that he wanted to leave once they'd eaten supper. After they looked over at Hector, who shifted from foot to foot or fidgeted with impatience and had been for the past several hours, the two came to a silent agreement. "We can at least try getting somewhere tonight, though – we might be able to make it to a town along our way where we can camp. If worse comes to worst, there's always camping out."

"That... would be preferable to making him sit still any longer." Eliwood's voice was cautiously low and he glanced furtively at his friend again. With that decided, Eliwood had announced their departure.

That was how Adelessa found herself glad for the torches Dorcas had been given during their fight into Santaruz. While full night hadn't quite fallen, it was getting darker by the minute. A town wasn't too far off according to one of her maps; unfortunately, there was no way for them to reach it by the time the sun escaped the sky entirely.

As if that wasn't bad enough – she didn't like traveling at night; it made her jumpy and it was more nerve-wracking than she wanted to deal with – her backside was aching. Matthew had kept his promise – _maybe more of a threat, who am I kidding? _– to train her. He had shown her the proper way to hold a knife for combat and basic techniques for it. She had, unfortunately, taken a bit of a spill when they had sparred with wooden rods, hence the pain.

_Though I suppose that's part of the whole process,_ she thought ruefully. _If it was easy, I would have done more with it by now._ If Adelessa was to be completely honest, though, she had to admit that she'd learned a lot while working with Matthew and that he wasn't so bad at teaching even if he _was_ a bit impatient. _And it's really reassuring to have a weapon that I at least partly know how to use._

"Bah – it's dark already," Hector grumbled. He hauled a torch out of Eliwood's saddlebag and worked to light it.

"Well, yes," Adelessa replied absently, reviewing the map. "That's what we get for leaving this late in the day." She missed the scowl that Hector gave her, but could assume he did so when she heard Eliwood and Matthew chuckle.

"My lord," Matthew piped up cheerfully, "if you keep making a face like that it might freeze that way. Then whatever shall you do about finding a nice girl?"

Adelessa giggled quietly to herself; her laughter was hidden under Hector's roared response to Matthew's teasing question. Waiting for the bickering in the background to fade, she double-checked her approximation of their position. "We should stop for the night while we're here," the tactician told them once Hector had simmered down to shooting glares at Matthew. "This is the best spot around – flat and with plenty of clean water nearby – for a camp."

"There aren't any towns nearby?" Eliwood asked.

His face fell when Adelessa shook her head. "Not for another few hours, not at the pace we're traveling," she replied. "Stopping now before night fully falls would be best – I don't think any of us want to blunder around in the dark." Her green eyes jumped between the members of the group. "Besides, this is a nice area – the trees will give us a bit of cover from the elements if we hunker down between those rivers. It's not so bad in this part of Caelin."

"Wait, Caelin?" Hector looked over at her, surprised. "Seriously? Huh." His eyes narrowed in displeasure. "Do you think we'll have to present ourselves to Lord Hausen?" His voice didn't hide any of his displeasure at the possible court function; it was disgruntled and surly.

"I don't think so," she replied carefully. "We're just passing through. I'd like to stop by Castle Caelin just to see how Lyn is doing, but it's out of our way. If we want to get to Laus as soon as possible, we can just skip going there."

"Lyn?" Hector asked. She figured it was an attempt to sound interested in what she was talking about without seeming too relieved; while it didn't succeed, she had to give him credit for trying to be at least a little diplomatic.

"Lady Lyndis is Marquess Caelin's granddaughter," Eliwood supplied after giving Adelessa a grateful smile; he didn't want to deal with his friend in a snit any more than she did.

"Oh, her – she's the missing heir in that whole Caelin inheritance thing last year, right?" He looked over at Adelessa, raising an eyebrow at her in question. "You had something to do with all of that, didn't you?"

"I did," she replied. "I advised her... much like I am now for Eliwood. I'm surprised that you didn't hear all about it," Adelessa added, glancing over at Matthew. The spy winced and shook his head, looking properly ashamed of himself. "But yes." Thanks to the light from the torches adding to the waning sunlight, Adelessa could see the faint color that stained Eliwood's cheeks.

Apparently Hector saw it too. He elbowed the redheaded lord. "Oh? What's got you all flustered? Is she _pretty?_"

"Is she... well, yes, I – she's, well..." He flushed even deeper red when he realized that most of the group was quiet and leaning in to hear what he would say. Clearing his throat, Eliwood continued with, "Well, she's quite striking. It must be her Sacaean heritage – I've never seen anyone like her."

"Well, it's too bad."

"What do you mean, Hector?"

Hector chuckled heartily. "That you won't get to see her, loverboy."

"What – no! Lyndis and I – we're not-!" Eliwood's flustered protests sent Adelessa into a fit of laughter.

"Oh? Is that so? Then why are you getting all upset, Eliwood?" Hector elbowed his friend again. "I think you're protesting _too_ much."

"Hector..." Eliwood growled in warning. He broke off, disgruntled, when Adelessa waved for him to calm down. "It's not like that," he muttered finally.

"We know," she assured him, "but you're too much fun to tease." Shaking her head at Hector – he looked like he wanted to start ribbing Eliwood again – she returned her attention to her map.

She nearly dropped it when a cutting shriek echoed in the night. Fumbling with the parchment, Adelessa somehow managed to keep from letting it fall to the ground. "That was a scream," Eliwood said, looking around. His face had changed from embarrassed to grim in a second.

"Someone must be in trouble – Eliwood, Hector, would you want to find them to offer help?" Adelessa wanted to rush over to assist whomever was in trouble, but she knew that to do so might not fit into Hector and Eliwood's plans. She figured that they would want to help, but she had gotten herself in trouble with lesser assumptions than that.

"Of course," Eliwood answered immediately, relieving her of that worry. "Hurry! We can use the last of the light to find him."

Adelessa couldn't remember the last time she'd seen a group roll out as quickly as they did now: it seemed that all of them immediately picked up their bags and followed Eliwood and Marcus as they tracked trails left by what appeared to be a wagon. "Easy prey for bandits, even with Lycia's work to eliminate them," Marcus had said. "Some get lazy or need to move quickly – they forgo guards in favor of faster profits. Some can't afford them or there aren't any available when they set out. Regardless, bandits," and he pointed at a separate set of tracks on the ground, "love them, regardless of the reasons."

Luckily for the man under attack – she could see him now in the last orange rays of the sunset – the group was only a few moments behind him. A man – his lush merchant's clothes only partially covered by a light traveling cloak – was cornered against a wagon by several thugs. He was clearly harried: his dark hair was slick with sweat and whole locks of it had escaped from the ponytail at the nape of his neck.

"Stupid old man," one of the bandits growled, stepping forward. The merchant darted off to one side. "You've kept us running in circles for marks, you know. We don't like it when our time's wasted – and the only way to make up for that is to give us your goods, merchant."

"My-my merchandise? But it's valuable!"

"That's the point!" another bandit pointed out. Raucous laughter came from the group. "And you're wealthy, so that makes it even better. Our lucky day!" He reached forward and grabbed the merchant by the front of his clothing – from back where they were running up, Adelessa could just barely make out the blend of Lycian and Etrurian fashions in his garb. The merchant shrieked and flailed, trying to free himself. "You're making a racket," the bandit growled, shaking him.

"Get rid of him – with his merchandise, there's no reason to keep him around," the first bandit said dismissively. He'd already turned to the wagon and was rooting through the nearest boxes. The rest of the bandits dispersed to start ransacking the rest of the crates – all except the one holding the merchant. He reached for his axe.

"Hold it!" Hector's bellow stopped the group of ruffians cold; almost as one, every head turned to stare at the group. "Let him go!" Eliwood stood next to his friend and fellow lord; Adelessa kept just behind them, glad to be in the midst of the combined group of knights. "If you leave now, we won't have to kill all of you."

"What did you say?" The leader hopped off of the wagon.

"Let him go," Eliwood said, glancing at Hector only for an instant. "If you release him, there's no need for a fight."

"What – a pair of dandies like you think that you can stop us? Hah!" He sneered at them. "You know what I think of you?" Spitting on the ground, he made an obscene gesture at the two lords. "Living off of your parents' names, prancing about without a care... I hate your kind! I'd like to see you try to stop us."

"Eliwood!" Adelessa reflexively cried his name when she saw the bandit throw a small axe at him. Luckily, the redhead's reflexes were more than enough; he dropped into a crouch and darted to one side. She was dragged to one side by Oswin to keep her out of its path.

As soon as the axe sunk into the ground, the night burst into chaos. Adelessa found herself propelled toward the merchant as the lords and knights chased off the bandits. Thanks to the bandits being disorganized, they were easily chased off. "Are you hurt?" she asked the merchant.

"No... no, I don't believe I am." He threw his arms around her. "You – you all are capable of combat! I'm Merlinus. I'm just a merchant, lowly and humble. I don't know anything about fighting – please, you have to protect me!"

Adelessa blinked at him. "Uh, of course," she said, nonplussed by his actions. "That's what we came here for – we heard you in trouble. One second." The tactician extricated herself from his grasp and made her way over to the returning knights and lords. "I don't think they're going to give up so easily," she told them. "There are a lot of goods here and Merlinus is a sitting duck. We'll probably have to defend him for a while yet."

Eliwood made a noise of agreement and waited for her to continue. Her eyes darted, taking in their surroundings. They were on a small patch of land bordered by rivers: it was all but an island. The only way onto it were three bridges – two to the north and one to the south. Merlinus huddled next to his wagons near a copse of trees; seeing that at least two wheels were broken, Adelessa dismissed the idea of getting away. Luckily, it didn't seem to be too hard to defend.

She knew that she wasn't going to like this battle. Even with the torches stuck into the ground – Rebecca had thought quickly and managed to get them to stand on their own – it was impossible to see more than halfway across the bridges. All that they could do was wait – wait for the bandits to attack. If they could stave off the attackers and make it to daylight, they'd be fine.

But first they had to make it that far. That was what she had to focus on for now. "Matthew, could you watch our backs?" Adelessa asked, motioning in the direction of the bridge to the south. "You've got the sharpest eyes of all of us."

"Right away!" The spy immediately weaved his way through the group to take up his post.

"The rest of us," she continued, "should form up into our standard defensive ring. Center on Merlinus and his wagon – that's what they'll be aiming for the most."

"We're not going after them?" Hector sounded disappointed.

"No – all we have to do is outlast them. We have the best chance of that if we just stay put here." Even while she explained why she chose her plan, the group formed a circle as directed. The fighters made a ring; those who weren't as good with direct combat fell back to the center to provide support. "This way we're less likely to be caught unaware," Adelessa added.

"Yeah, just let them try." Hector grumbled a bit more, hefting his axe impatiently. Despite that, the blue-haired lord didn't argue any more than that and Adelessa relaxed slightly. Hector could be plenty stubborn when he got the bit between his teeth. Arguing with him in this sort of situation was _not_ something that Adelessa wanted to do. _Though, to be fair,_ she thought, _he probably realizes that this isn't the best time himself._

A couple of tense minutes passed, creeping along like an eternity. "They're moving – I can just barely see them across the river." Matthew's warning was of a low enough pitch that it only carried to Adelessa's ears. She was glad for that; this way their enemies wouldn't know that they were aware of their movements.

"Alright – be careful. Try to block off the bridges – if we can hold them back there, we should be able to outlast them," she murmured to the group. Staggered nods answered her and the main fighters broke into groups to go to their chosen bridges.

They didn't have to wait much longer. Eliwood and his knights, at the northern bridges, were the first to shout the alarm. To the south, she heard Hector roar as he charged an enemy. Adelessa couldn't see much that was going on – between the darkness, the confusing, flickering light of the torches, and the ever-changing nature of a battle, it was nigh impossible for her to make out what was happening.

She tried anyway. Snippets made sense: she could see Marcus and Lowen fighting on the bridge, charging forth in alternating waves to keep their opponents away. The few axe-wielding men who made it through were quickly cut down by Eliwood. Serra and Rebecca stayed close to them, supporting with healing and archery respectively. When Adelessa looked to the south, she could see the large blurs of violent motion that were Hector and Oswin. Oswin's lance surged forward and impaled a man; Hector's axe hit one clean off of the bridge.

Lowen retreated onto the main part of the island, clutching his arm to his side. Serra hurried to his side, the pale blue glow a strange contrast of relative calm to the rest of the chaos. Surprisingly, the squire was the only one to have been injured enough that he needed attention. From her judgment of the bandits' numbers earlier, Adelessa had thought that they would put up a stronger fight. Instead their group was holding its own quite well. Even as she scanned the island to get another idea of how the battle was shaping up, she saw that each bridge had been successfully defended. Only a few people remained to attack the defenders.

Despite the fact that the brigands were pulling back, Adelessa continued to plan their defenses. _We'll need to continue to guard the bridges,_ she decided. _If only just in case they work up their courage again and think they want to try another wave-_

Something wooden screamed in protest somewhere behind her. Adelessa turned just in time to see a large blur hurtle toward her from the sky. _Is that... is that a _tree? _Oh, Elimine, it's coming right this way! _Throwing herself back in a desperate lunge, she just barely managed to avoid being crushed underneath the leafy crown of the tree.

Scrambling to her feet, Adelessa saw several man-shaped spots of motion that lumbered along the tree. She was calling for help before she even fully got to her feet. "Lowen, Marcus," she yelled, knowing that they would be able to block off this new attack the fastest, "I need you over here _now!_"

Anything else that she wanted to say was cut off when she had to duck under and scramble away from an axe. The wind from its near miss rippled the hair at the side of her face, causing the brown, wavy locks to bounce into her line of sight. Only the sound of thrumming hoofbeats kept her from running madly; instead, she hunkered down and prayed that one of the cavaliers would make it to her on time.

Madly pulling her hair out of her face, she ventured a look up. Both Marcus and Lowen stood between her and the bandits coming over from the tree, fending off the blow that would have cleaved her in two. She ducked again when she saw someone hurtling toward her, rushed footsteps racing directly for her. Hearing Rebecca go "Hup!" and land on the other side of her made Adelessa want to laugh.

_Somehow I'm not surprised that she would do something like this,_ she thought as she got her feet under her again, staggering back on legs weak with relief. With Rebecca's help, the cavaliers were able to stymie the bandits long enough for Adelessa to call Hector over. When he grinned at her plan, she knew she had his help in it. At her direction, the blue-haired lord swung his axe at the tree. After the third hit, the makeshift bridge gave under the abuse; it cracked and fell – dumping all of the men on it into the river.

Seeing that those men were washed away by the river, the other bandits seemed to lose heart. First one, then another, and finally several broke and ran, fleeing out into the night. Soon enough Matthew reported that he didn't see any other brigands on the island or otherwise. For the first several moments the quiet was broken only by the movement and care of weapons and tack.

Adelessa was the first to break the silence. "Are you alright?" she asked Merlinus once she was close enough to him that she didn't have to shout.

"I... you... you've saved me!" Adelessa found herself hugged by the merchant again. She awkwardly patted him on the back as best she could – he'd pinned her arms with the motion – and looked over at Eliwood and Hector for help. Eliwood looked like he was holding back a smile; it leaked into his eyes. Hector wasn't nearly so restrained, he chuckled at her.

"Uh, yes, we did. Are you alright?" she asked again.

Adelessa found herself thrust back at arm's length as Merlinus studied first himself and then her. The merchant gave her a large smile when he assured himself that they were both in one whole piece. "I am – I am indeed! We're both fine as fine can be." He let her shoulders go; she gave a short bow to him and stepped back at the same time.

"I'm glad to see that," Eliwood spoke up. "Now, if you don't mind, we have to be on our way. Take care, sir."

"Wait! Wait a moment, please," Merlinus called as they started off. "I want to give you a token of my thanks!"

"No, it's fine," Adelessa said quickly, trying to stave off anything Hector might say. "We're glad to have helped, really."

"That's right," Hector added. It was hard for her to keep from staring him at horror as soon as he opened his mouth, but somehow she managed. Her hurried prayers to the spirits had no effect. "We don't need a peddler's junk."

"_Peddler?_" Merlinus stared in shock and horror at the lord.

"Hector!" Eliwood scolded. His voice was almost as exasperated as Adelessa was embarrassed. When she glared over her shoulder at Hector he gave her a guilty shrug in return.

"I'm more than just a-!" Merlinus gathered himself and cleared his throat. "I am Merlinus, merchant extraordinare! I've traveled all over Elibe – you'll find no other merchant whose goods can even hold a candle to mine! I might look a little... disheveled right now, but I'm much better off than I seem right now."

"A merchant?" Hector didn't sound very impressed. "Books and cookware, huh?"

"Hector, your manners are atrocious." Eliwood's voice was beyond exasperation. "Merlinus, please – this oaf was born without the ability to think before he speaks."

"I wouldn't think of taking offense," Merlinus replied, smiling graciously. "I understand those kinds. I wasn't concerned, anyways." He studied Eliwood more closely. "Pardon me, but would I be correct in guessing that the two of you are from highborn houses?" Eliwood and Hector glanced at each other, surprised. "It's just that – between your bearing and the emblems on your armor – I can't help but think that you are."

"We are indeed – I'm Eliwood, the son of Marquess Pherae." Eliwood waved at Hector in turn. "This is Hector. He's Marquess Ostia's younger brother."

"Ostia? Pherae! Elimine bless!" Merlinus rocked back on his heels. "The two greatest houses of Lycia together – and to be saved by such noblemen!" Adelessa could almost swear that she saw stars in the merchant's eyes. "It's an honor beyond words, my lords!"

"Well," Hector drawled wryly, "it's a nice change of pace to feel appreciated. Lately, all people seem to want is us dead." He leaned forward, his gaze locked on Merlinus. "Say, what were your plans? It can't be safe traveling without guards like this."

Merlinus blinked at the sudden thoughtfulness from the previously brash young man. "Plans? Well, I had planned to travel around Lycia to sell my wares, but I don't know if it's possible if even Caelin is prey to bandits like those."

Adelessa thought she saw Hector's plan. "Well, if you still want to travel around," she ventured, "you could always travel with us. We've plenty of people who could protect you in case of more bandits." Hector gave her a grin and a sharp nod. _Apparently we were thinking the same thing. That's good that we both had the same good idea._ "Though," she added, "if you want to travel with us, you'll have to help us by carrying some of our gear and supplies."

"Oh?" Merlinus nodded slowly and rubbed his hands together. "Now that _is_ a good idea. Even more than selling goods, I'm excellent at managing merchandise." He studied her just as intently as he had the two lords; Adelessa had to resist the urge to fidget under his observant gaze. "Are you from Etruria? You have an accent, though it's not quite all Etrurian. And that knotwork is quite impressive," he added.

"I've been traveling a lot," Adelessa replied quickly. "I've probably picked up dialects from all over. I did live in southeast Etruria, however. I'm Aydie – it's nice to meet you." She smoothed her fingers over the medallion; it must have fallen out during the fight or she might have worried it while working on the strategies for the fight. Regardless, she felt naked and vulnerable having it out in plain sight and so quickly tucked it back under her over-tunic. "It was a gift from my foster father. I'm sorry – it's personal."

"No need to worry, my dear." Merlinus waved off her explanation. He almost looked like he wanted to ask more questions when Eliwood interrupted him – much to Adelessa's relief.

"Merlinus, are you sure you want to travel with us? It might be dangerous," Eliwood warned, bringing them back to their original subject. "I don't want you to go into this if you're not ready for it."

"I'm quite sure, my lord – to be perfectly honest," he admitted, "I've always dreamed of working for a noble house. To be able to serve the greatest of them – Pherae and Ostia, really! - is more than I could have hoped for in a dozen lifetimes!" The merchant launched himself at Eliwood. It was Adelessa's turn to bite back snickers as she watched the redheaded lord blankly stare at the affectionate man. "Lord Hector! Lord Eliwood! Take me into your presence and keep me safe forever!"

"Uh... thank you," Eliwood said, at a loss for words. "Well met, Merlinus."

"Yeah, yeah," Hector said. Adelessa could hear him rolling his eyes as he hauled Merlinus off of Eliwood. "Now, then – I've got some things I want you to carry..." The burly young man walked Merlinus away, leaving Eliwood baffled and Adelessa giggling madly into her hand.

"What was that?" the lord asked.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, "but somehow I think things are going to be plenty lively here. I think Merlinus will do just fine."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Gah! So sorry that this is a week late, guys. And unfortunately, I don't have a whole lot of good news for you. D:

So this term has been punching me in the metaphorical face with homework. Obviously I'm not keeping up to my every-Friday schedule and I honestly don't know what kind of schedule I _will_ be able to keep. I'm not putting this on hiatus – I'm still writing! - but updates will be sporadic until my classes either ease up or the end of March rolls around (the end of my term). This way I won't kill myself trying to update and you guys won't be waiting on updates I can't keep.

This doesn't mean I'm dropping it; updates will just be a little slower. I didn't want to do this, but I'm not going to be able to keep up with my work-term posting rate and I don't have a buffer. D': My most sincere apologies to you guys – I hope you can understand!

As always, a huge thank-you to my beta, **Ryan**, and my reviewers: **angelbeets, patattack, Sethera, DrakeDarkblade, AccessBlade, MilleniaMaster, AquaticSilver, **and **Tom-Ato13**. You guys have gotten me up to over 100 reviews zomg *explodes* I'm so touched that you guys are all so kind to comment and encourage me! You help keep me afloat when my muse decides to DIE.

Until next time!


	20. Learning Pains

Learning Pains

Adelessa didn't know why she ever thought that this would be a good idea. There was no good reason for a tactician – much less a woman of her build – to be waving around a weapon. Her arms, back, and chest protested all of the new abuses she put them through. She'd given up on keeping her hair in any semblance of order or neatness; the wavy brown locks flew all over the place, getting in her eyes and clinging to her neck and forehead. The physical discomfort was bad enough. The frustration of not being able to just immediately pick this up like any of her other studies was worse.

Worst of all of it, though, was her tormentor's grin as he watched her pick herself up out of the dirt. "See," Matthew told her cheerfully, "this is why you need all this teaching every evening."

"You," she gasped in return, "are a terrible person."

"I know!" Adelessa imagined punching him right in his wide, too-cheerful-to-not-be-mocking-her grin. The only reason she didn't was because she knew she'd end up on her butt in the dust yet again. She'd lost track of how many times she'd tried to hit him – tactics and brute force and all she could think of – but she hadn't managed it, not even once. The fact that hardly even one of his stupidly blonde hairs was out of place only aggravated her more; he didn't seem to be working hard against her. "But you won't get any better if you don't practice."

Brushing the dirt off of her tunic – even though she knew she'd have more on it in no time at all, it was hard to shake her habit – Adelessa tried to soothe her frustration by looking around. She and Matthew weren't the only ones practicing: Eliwood and Lowen were under the watchful eye of Marcus. He didn't bark orders, but his quiet, level orders sent them hurrying to do as he commanded as well as any hollered yelling. Hector was sparring against Oswin, their weapons crashing against each other with a vigor that made it hard for Adelessa to remember that it was only practice. Even Guy was practicing, his sword slashing through the air with grace and speed seen only in Sacaean swordsmanship. Rebecca didn't come out here; she practiced by hunting game. She claimed that bringing in a deer was far better practice than shooting at a stationary target time after time.

"You know, you look pretty wiped," Matthew said. Adelessa looked over at him when he sat down on a log that he'd decided made a good bench. His voice was more serious, but his smile still twitched up the sides of his mouth and lent a glitter to his brown eyes. She sat down to his right when he patted the log. "Feel like taking a breather? For all that you're still terrible at this," he teased, "you're actually making good strides for only having a week's practice."

She stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed. "I'd like a quick break," she admitted. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"

"Not at all," he replied, rolling forward onto his feet. "I wanted to talk to my lord about something, anyways." Matthew threaded his way across the impromptu practice ground, leaving Adelessa to watch his red cloak drag through the air behind him.

She sighed and braced her hands against the coarse bark beneath her, letting her arms take some of her weight. Wiggling her feet in front of her, Adelessa looked away from where the spy was talking to Hector. Being here to _practice_ was a strange new feeling for her, though not a bad one – as long as she wasn't sitting on her butt in the dirt. If she was going to be fair, this new challenge was just as enjoyable as it was frustrating. Adelessa hadn't had a good, novel challenge for quite some time, not since she traveled with Lyndis' Legion and the exam she took shortly after. Added on to that was the fact that, for all of her frustration and wounded pride, she was learning more under Matthew than she had even dared to hope. There was more to learn than she had anticipated, but it was a pleasant surprise if anything. All in all, it had been several very interesting days since they had picked up Merlinus.

* * *

><p>The morning after they rescued Merlinus had started as normally as any other. Adelessa had helped Merlinus gather what he could, packing and settling items into his wagon. She volunteered to have Rhea help draw it: his horses had been driven off and they couldn't very well leave his wagon here. <em>Good thing I don't mind walking,<em> she thought, bemused, _and that Rhea's so even-tempered. Though I hope we won't need anything from in there any t__ime soon. _She cringed a bit; Eliwood had wanted to get going right away, so they hadn't time to properly organize anything.

"You like to be busy, don't you?" Adelessa looked over at Matthew, surprised. She hadn't heard him approach. _Though, to be fair__, that's true enough most times he comes to talk._

"I like being helpful," she corrected gently, pausing to work a stone out of her shoe. "It's not quite the same." Seeing the questioning eyebrow that Matthew quirked up in a question, she used the few seconds it took to properly tie her shoe back on to think over what she wanted to say. "Well, it's nice to make things easier for other people. I know I'd want someone to help me if I needed it like Merlinus does. And... I guess I don't like just sitting around, twiddling my thumbs, if there's something I could be doing. It makes me feel antsy." Her mouth quirked up on its own, betraying her. "I guess you're right, in a way. You seem to keep plenty busy yourself, though," she pointed out.

She laughed when Matthew heaved a dramatic sigh. "You'd be busy if you had to keep up with my lord, too," he informed her with a roll of his eyes so exaggerated she wouldn't be surprised if they off and rolled away on their own. "Never a quiet moment, I swear!"

"Surely I don't hear you complaining, Matthew – it must be a trick of the wind. Oh, wait, there _isn't any_," Hector growled from behind Adelessa. Her feet hovered above the ground for what felt like several seconds. Her hand pressed over her heart while she turned, ready to start stammering frantic apologies to appease the obvious disgruntled lord. "I remember you insisted on inviting yourself – and Oswin and Serra, of all people – along for the journey."

"I never said it was a bad thing, my lord." Matthew's voice was smooth and respectful, but Adelessa could see the mischievous glint in his eye and mentally cringed. _There's no way,_ she thought, _that this can end well!_ "Why, my lord, if you feel that was how I was taking it, then surely you must think that of yourself! If you don't like how you act or your pace, you should change yourself. There's no need to feel insecure about your uncertainties," he added, face perfectly somber now, "why, you're still fairly young and learning your way-" Matthew grinned wickedly when Hector muttered something that an upstanding young lord definitely _shouldn't_ say and passed them to walk with Eliwood.

"Isn't it a bad idea to needle him like that?" She recognized her voice all too well for her liking; she'd spent years trying to get rid of the shaking quiver and the over-emphasized Bernese accent. Biting her tongue for the briefest of seconds, she tried to compose herself before she said, "I've always thought-" She cut off when her accent didn't fade, trying not to wince.

If Matthew noticed – she was sure he did – he didn't comment on her suddenly different vocal tics. "Who, Hector? No – he won't be annoyed for long." He casually waved off her worry. "He'll bluster from here to the Dread Isle, but he doesn't get in knock-down, drag-out fights over little things like this. It's more of a game for him – gives him an excuse to stomp around angrily." She saw him give her a sideways look and somehow his voice was wry and gentle at the same time. "You know, you don't have to tiptoe around them. They're not bad sorts – at least not these noble types."

Her next step faltered; Matthew got ahead of her by a couple of steps before she started walking again. "Have I been that obvious?" Adelessa felt her face burn with a blush. "It's not that I don't-"

"Take it easy," he soothed. "You aren't that obvious about it or anything, so long as you're not looking." His assurance made her feel a little bit better, but only a little. "You just fidget with your hair more around them, really pick and choose your words – you slow down when you're double-checking your words and pause – that sort of thing." He stopped talking. In the silence, Adelessa could hear his next observation almost as clearly as if he had said it outright: _It's almost as if you're ready to jump up and run._ "All it looks like," he said instead, "is that you're very formal."

"I'll..." Adelessa grimaced a bit. "I'll try to work on that, then."

"Don't worry too much about it. It's sort of cute when– yes, coming, my lord!" he called back when Hector hollered for him. "Ah, well. I'll talk to you later – service calls. Just don't get all worked up about it." Matthew gave her a roguish wink and trotted forward to tend to whatever Hector needed.

This left Adelessa to stare at him, befuddled. _Cute?_ she wondered, raising her hands to her cheeks and watching his back with wide green eyes. _He called me cute._

* * *

><p>The next day started off much the same way. The unpacking and repacking were just as terrible as she had feared, much to the amusement of Rebecca; the girl was helping, but she spent more time laughing at Merlinus' frantic hurrying and Adelessa's dismay at his frazzled state than doing any actual work. Adelessa wasn't upset; she would be doing the same if their positions were swapped.<p>

Rebecca was still laughing when they got on the road; instead of staying and chatting with Adelessa, she got called over by Lowen to discuss arrangements for meals. The two had ended up taking care of most of the needs for food once they learned that the rest of the group was either hopeless with cooking on the road or too busy to be of much help.

As it was, Adelessa found herself walking alone, munching on the last of some dried fruit she had bought from Merlinus while she was going through what was left of his goods. It wasn't nearly enough to replace the breakfast she'd only half-eaten – Merlinus had been in such a tizzy that she had to calm him down by helping him, leaving her breakfast forgotten – but it was better than nothing at all.

"Hey!" Somehow Adelessa wasn't surprised to see Matthew jogging to catch up to her. "I see that Merlinus finally let you go."

"He just needed a little bit of help," Adelessa protested. "It wasn't a big deal." She glanced down at his hand when he held it out in front of her, then cupped her hands beneath it. A still slightly-warm turnover dropped into her hands. Delighted, she wasted no time before she shoved the first bite in her mouth. She was chewing on the overlarge chunk in a special kind of satiated bliss when she realized just how terrible her manners were. Casting a sheepish, embarrassed look over at Matthew, she quickly swallowed.

"No worries," he replied lowly. "I won't tell anyone about that breech of etiquette if you don't."

He grinned when she laughed. "Deal – and I won't tell Lowen that you're sneaking away with his cooking," Adelessa teased. Matthew's feigned look of horror made her laugh all the harder; it took a moment before she dared to venture another bite of her turnover. "How did you know to sneak one of these away?"

"_You're_ the one who's all about helping people," Matthew reminded her. "When I saw Merlinus fretting I figured you'd be roped into his insanity before you finished breakfast. You were bad about getting to meals back when we were with Lyndis – you can't have changed _that_ much in a year."

His amber eyes dared her to disagree and she found herself unable to retort with evidence to the contrary. With a sigh, Adelessa nodded. "You're right," she admitted, "but it's not such a big deal. I could have made it to lunch."

"Well, now you won't have to – and next time let him know that you haven't finished eating. He'll survive five minutes without you."

"Says the man who wouldn't wait five extra seconds for me to tie my hair back," Adelessa pointed out. "I believe the pot is calling the kettle black, here."

"That's different!" he protested. "I'm teaching you out of the goodness of my heart-"

"-something that you basically _ordered_ me to do, if you remember-"

"-and the least you can do is be ready when I come to grab you-"

"-which spirits only know when _that_ will be!" Adelessa realized that she was grinning just as much as he was; it was becoming a familiar and comfortable thing to bicker and banter about little things like this to get the conversation away from more touchy subjects. Shaking her head with a helpless laugh, Adelessa waved him off. "You're a scoundrel, Matthew."

"I know – it's so much more fun than being an upstanding citizen, really." He gave her a broad grin. "How are you feeling, by the way?" The grin turned to a smirk; he had to know how she felt after the solid trouncing he gave her in practice.

She didn't justify that with a response, only giving him a flat stare in return. "Oh, hush," she told him when he started chortling at her. "I bet you weren't any better when you started out."

"I wasn't," he replied cheerfully, "but I was also only a kid back then. You're a young woman who, apparently, never had anyone who loved her enough to teach her how to throw a punch or fall properly." That stung. Adelessa turned her face away; she didn't want Matthew to see her face twist with pain at his little jibe. It was more accurate than she wanted to admit. Unfortunately, Matthew caught her. "Hey, what's wrong? It was just a joke, Aydie."

"Nothing's wrong," she replied, praying that he wouldn't try to push it any further than that. Luckily she could keep tears at bay – it wouldn't do to look any more upset than she already was – but she knew Matthew wouldn't let her be. "Just… no, it's nothing."

"Last I checked, 'nothing' doesn't make you look like you've been kicked in the gut," he insisted gently, his voice lowering when Lowen passed them to talk to Marcus up ahead. "You shrug off most things like this. Now let me know what I did wrong so I won't do it again." His light brown eyes bored into hers, unwilling to let her go no matter how hard her bright green ones darted away from them.

She finally broke down; no matter how much she didn't want to, she couldn't resist that quiet intensity. "I just… No one ever _did_ teach me any of those things." She hadn't meant to say that, but it just bubbled out. The lump in her throat brought a thin film of tears to her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut to try to keep them from doing anything more than gather at the corners and to keep from seeing the pity on Matthew's face.

Instead of saying anything, he just patted her shoulder gently. When she peeked her eyes open, Matthew said, "You don't have to worry about that anymore. You've got us now." His voice was gentler than she thought he could be and it was exactly what she needed to hear. It melted away the ice creeping around her heart in lattices of frost. The gentle reassurance locked away the sudden doubts.

"I'm starting to see that – thank you, Matthew."

He nodded. "Yeah. You're not doing this alone anymore, you know – you can go ahead and talk to us if you need to." The warmth in his eyes changed to a mixture of annoyance and chagrin when Hector called for him at the front of the group. "Are you alright if I...?"

"Go ahead – it wouldn't do to keep Hector waiting." She smiled even though she didn't much feel like it. "We both know how he gets."

"That we do," Matthew agreed. His voice was wry and apologetic. "Now, if only Eliwood or Marcus could teach him some _patience_, we'd have some real progress! Elimine knows Oswin's tried for _years_." With that, the blond spy sighed and trotted forward to deal with whatever had Hector yelling. Adelessa watched him go and bit the inside of her lip. She hadn't expected Matthew to drag up the pain of being alone so sharply. Even more than that, she would never have thought he could soothe it away so quickly. She was rattled, but beyond that... Adelessa felt _glad_, almost. Here was someone who, while he didn't know what was wrong, accepted it and tried to help her.

_How long has it been?_ she wondered. There was a little flutter deep in her chest that she stalwartly ignored. _How long has it been since someone made me feel like this?_ She honestly couldn't remember the last time someone both almost brought her to tears and then soothed her within moments of each other. That realization unsettled Adelessa enough that she decided to leave it alone; instead, she tried to focus on the path and creating strategies for the group.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Matthew?"<p>

"Hm?" The blonde looked over at her, a hint of surprise on his face. That wasn't unexpected: so far in their conversations, Matthew had been the one to break the quiet stretches. "You have a burning question for me, Aydie?"

He grinned at her slight scowl: they both knew it was just for show, but it was a habit Adelessa had yet to break while talking with him. "I wouldn't say that," she replied, "but I _was_ wondering something, just a little question." When he waved his hand for her to continue, Adelessa asked, "What's your affinity?"

"What, are you trying to figure out our compatibility here?" Adelessa flushed and shook her head in denial, but Matthew was already waving it off. "Geez, Aydie – take it easy. Not everyone takes everything as seriously as you, you know. I'm a Wind. You?"

"Dark." Matthew "huh"ed at that, his eyebrows rising up in surprise. "Yeah, I know."

"Not every day you find someone with Dark. Aren't you only born in August?"

"Half the time we go with other affinities, too," Adelessa added. "Nobody really knows why." They lapsed back into a mostly-companionable, very-slightly-awkward silence. They had come to an unspoken agreement not to tread near the crumbling cliff of what had set her off the day before and had instead spent their time talking about harmless, meaningless topics like where they've traveled, how he picked locks, and some of her observations of the terrain around them from a tactician's point of view.

"Doesn't that mean your birthday is coming up?"

"At the end of the month," Adelessa replied, reminded by his question. _I hadn't realized that it's August already. Goodness, how time flies when you're traveling._

"Now, I know it's rude to ask a lady her age," Matthew said, his voice just smooth enough to tease her, "but how old will you be?"

"Twenty." Adelessa laughed when he gave her a quick double-take. _It isn't very often that _he's _the one poleaxed._ Perhaps she was more amused by that than she should be, but it was hard to deny that the look on Matthew's face was priceless. "No, I'm not pulling your leg."

"I bet you hear that you look older than your actual age all the time," he grumbled. She'd learned that he didn't like being wrong about his impressions; it was one of the reasons she hadn't brought up her age earlier.

"All the time," she agreed, "but it's not so bad. You're not going to treat me differently now that you know I'm just a young'un, are you?"

"Is that a joke I hear? Nah, couldn't be." Matthew grinned back at her. "No, I'm not. I'm only a few years older than you anyway. I just had thought with the way you acted that you were my age. Maybe older."

"Like I said – I get it all the time." She shrugged a little bit and he returned it. When he gave her a thoughtful and quizzical frown, she asked, "What?"

"Doesn't that mean that you had your birthday while you were with us during the whole Caelin incident?" he asked. Her reply was a nod. "Why didn't you say anything about it?"

"To be honest? I lost track of time." He snorted in amusement and Adelessa felt her cheeks turn red with embarrassment. "Well, I did! I had bigger things on my mind – keeping everyone alive is a little more important than celebrating my birthday."

"Well, did you when you went home?" When Adelessa gave him a blank stare, he sighed dramatically and elaborated. "When you went home did you celebrate your birthday either before or after you took that exam?"

"Oh – I suppose I did, in a manner." It wasn't that she was trying to avoid the topic-

_Who are you trying to kid, Adelessa?_ She _was_ trying to skirt around it, and in a way that stunningly lacked subtlety. Luckily enough for her, Matthew had learned better than to press the matter; that or the group stopping for the evening kept him from asking. _We're here already?_ she wondered, honestly surprised. _I hadn't noticed the time pass._

"Alright, who's on tent duty today?" Marcus' sharp question snapped her out of her daze and she hurried over to help set up the camp.

* * *

><p>"You know, if not for us people who do head-counts around the fire – that is, you know, <em>me<em> – you'd miss dinner every damn day." His voice cut straight through her sleeping haze and jolted Adelessa right into wakefulness. She blinked her eyes open to find Matthew's upside-down face hovering over her. He smoothly stepped back to avoid her usual reaction of jolting up into a sitting position.

"What do you mean, dinner?" she asked when he circled around to stand in front of her.

"You fell asleep reading," he told her. Adelessa took his outstretched hand when he offered it. She could feel the calluses on his palm and fingers as he helped pull her to her feet. It was warm, much warmer than hers, and she couldn't help but flush when she realized that she noticed that. "It's dinnertime and you'd have missed it if I wasn't always coming out here to wake up your sleeping self."

"Well... thanks," she replied, not sure what to say in response and far too distracted by his teasing grin.

"Oh, I _must_ have caught you at a good time. I swear you never took this many naps before, though. C'mon, you – time for you to get some food in you before I try to teach you to be less of a damsel in distress."

"Did you ever wonder if it was your training that makes me need to take naps?"

"Nonsense! How could you ever think such a thing?"

* * *

><p>"Bah! It's not worth doing anything else tonight." Matthew's voice snapped Adelessa out of reminiscing over the past few days. She looked up at him as he stretched. "I'm just not feeling it tonight and you look tired. Go ahead and take it easy tonight. You've earned a day off."<p>

"Alright – but we'll be back at it again tomorrow night, right?" She didn't want to admit how hopeful her voice sounded, but there was no way around it. Adelessa looked forward to the lessons, even though they were becoming more and more complicated even as she found them more pleasant. Time where she was even somewhat alone with Matthew was something that had her in fits of glee and anxiety both.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss the chance to take you down to my level." He gave her a roguish wink that made her want to grin so wide she'd risk eating her ears. "_Some_one has to keep you humble, oh mighty tactician."

"And don't you forget it!" He laughed and wandered off. She watched him go before she realized what she was doing; snapping her head to look forward, Adelessa found herself praying that no one had seen. It was bad enough that she knew what was going on. There was no need for anyone to catch wind of it, especially not someone who would think it was a good idea to tell Matthew.

She knew what this was, of course. She'd felt the same butterflies in her stomach when she had been at the university when potential suitors had courted her or when one of her rare crushes caught her eye. It hadn't been something that she'd expected to find when she found herself with Eliwood and especially not with a man who had previously antagonized her so. Though maybe – just maybe – that was part of this whole thing going on.

Adelessa found that she was rapidly falling in love with Matthew.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I exist! Sorry about this being so late, guys – this term has just DEMOLISHED me. These 20 credits are a lot more homework-intensive than I had planned on. ._))) But! Here's an update for you.

Thank you, **Ryan**, for being a good beta and guilt monkey over these weeks. Many, many, many thanks to my lovely reviewers – **MilleniaMaster, AquaticSilver, DrakDarkblade, Sethera, Tom-Ato13, Solyeuse, anon, angelbeets, Sieben Nightwing,** and **Drachegirl14** – and those of you who stopped by my dA page to check up on me. :'3 It really warms my heart to know that you guys were concerned that I was okay and wanted to check on how the fic was coming along. This one's for you!

And bawww, fluff! *shamelessly throws pairing at you and flees*


	21. False Friends

False Friends

_Marquess Laus – what are you planning? Did you directly cause Lord Elbert's disappearance or is it a coincidence? Why are you going to war? What game are you playing?_ Adelessa frowned at the map in front of her, shuffling around her notes and tracing the path Eliwood's band had traveled over the past several days. _What does an uprising gain you?_

"Starting without us?" She looked up and smiled even as she squinted into the morning sun. Hector greeted her the same way every morning. It had become as much a part of her routine as these meetings; after eating but before getting on the road for the day, Eliwood and Hector would meet with her to trade their impressions of information they'd picked up over the past day. Sometimes Oswin, Matthew, and Marcus would join them. Not this time, however it was just the three of them.

"Not at all. I was just thinking and looking over our proposed path for the day." Adelessa traced it on the map as Eliwood and Hector came over to sit on the other side of the table. "We'll be approaching from the east, so we'll just have this stretch of fields and farmland to cover. From what I remember of Laus when I passed through there last, this area doesn't have much in the way of hiding spots for soldiers. We shouldn't be surprised by ambushes except for if they've placed men in the woods. I would like it if we could send Lowen and Marcus ahead to scout for us."

"Certainly," Eliwood replied easily. "I was thinking of suggesting that myself."

"I think that's all I have, really – I mean, there isn't that much else that we can do to prepare. Merlinus said that our weapons and other belongings are in good order in his wagon should we need them, though one of its wheels are in poor shape. He won't be able to keep up with us if we need to run from a fight, so I'd propose having him stay in a village somewhere to set up shop."

"Good," Hector said. "The way Darin keeps his roads, we should arrive around midday if we stay at the pace we've been going. And I actually have news for you, this time. You can thank Matthew for it – he's been talking with someone in every town we've passed. Our spies have confirmed that Darin had something to do with Lord Elbert's disappearance."

_That _made Adelessa sit up. "What?"

"Well, they don't know _how_ he knew or if he caused it, but our favorite Marquess Laus was talking and acting as if Lord Elbert was gone a good week before anyone else really marked his disappearance." Hector clenched a fist and slammed it on the table. "_Damn _him," he growled. "I can't believe we didn't hear about any of this beforehand! Darin's not sneaky enough to be able to pull something like this – how'd he do it?"

"Perhaps he had assistance," Adelessa ventured. "It's not unheard-of for one country to try to sabotage another."

"But Lycia's at peace," Eliwood protested. "We've had no problems with any other nation."

Adelessa shook her head helplessly. "Then I haven't the slightest idea how this could have happened," she admitted. "The pieces just aren't adding up." She looked over, watching the last of the camp get packed up. They chose to have their meeting while camp was broken simply because they'd be out of the way and the other members of their company had insisted that they could handle this without their help as long as all their belongings were stowed away before they started their meeting.

"It looks like they're about ready to head out," Eliwood said finally. "I'll let Marcus and Lowen know that you want them up ahead." He headed over to where Lowen was talking animatedly with Rebecca; both were laughing and added cheer to an otherwise tense camp. Adelessa had hosted any number of nervous visits to her tent over the past week, all from various members of the company seeking comfort and reassurance from her. Hearing their worries made her all the more anxious, but she couldn't turn them away. Letting them get it off their chests made them more relaxed – something she treasured more than her own peace of mind.

Being this close to Laus made it impossible to ignore the fact that they could be facing a very major risk here. For some like Marcus, Lowen, and Oswin, it was a worry that their lordling charge would get injured or they would otherwise fail their duty. For others like Rebecca, Guy, Dorcas, and Bartre, it was a very reasonable concern about the fact that they were facing the legendary Laus cavalry. It had been something that came up more than once in the morning meetings: Laus had the perfect terrain for fighting with horses with its open fields, wide roads, and fairly flat ground. Only the few bluffs, some cliffs to the north, and beaches to the south were less than friendly to horsemen and those approaches weren't feasible for any sizeable threat to use when calculating strategies. Whomever had designed the placement of Castle Laus had Adelessa's admiration: they'd done a fantastic job of making it a nightmare to approach.

These worries and trying to figure out the reason and means behind the whole insurrection carried her through the entirety of leaving camp and most of the morning. Matthew managed to distract her for a short while, but he could tell that her heart wasn't in their usual banter. Instead of forcing her to talk, he simply walked next to her horse in companionable silence until Hector called for him. Even in the haze that her planning had made around her, Adelessa watched him go and tried to deny that she was feeling more than just friendship for the Ostian spy.

The company arrived in sight of Castle Laus just as the sun reached the zenith of the sky like Hector had predicted. Normally that would have had him in at least a decently good mood, but he radiated the same stony fury in silence that the rest of the group did. Adelessa herself was dismayed when she saw the state of things this close to the castle. Fields were trampled in patterns too regular to be anything but drills and formations. Half-completed siege engines lurked in the spaces between buildings where small villages huddled in on themselves. Citizens hid inside their homes, watching the company pass through half-open shutters and doors.

"Look at this!" Hector stabbed a finger in the direction of a ballista poorly hidden under a tarp as if the action could break it. "He's not even _trying _to hide the fact that he's getting ready to go to war!" He hauled his leg back and kicked a fist-sized stone, sending it clattering across the cobblestoned street. "What are you even on about?" he shouted at the castle.

Adelessa edged away from him – while Hector was never intentionally violent toward anyone but his enemies in battle or partners in sparring, it never hurt to be careful when a person started to throw things – and closer to Eliwood. That was when she saw the look on the red-haired lord's face: he looked as if he was in the clutches of dread and that the last thing he wanted was to continue toward the castle. "You don't want to go there, do you?" Her quiet question caught the attention of both lords.

"I… no," Eliwood said after a minute. He rubbed the back of his gauntlet slowly, a tell that Adelessa learned meant that he was thinking about how to say something. "If we learn the truth and it's what we fear, we may have to go to war with Lord Darin."

Adelessa understood that. Like everyone else, Eliwood had tracked her down one evening after their respective training and asked to talk. She'd heard his thoughts on war. He could fight as well as the next man and enjoyed swordplay. When up against one person or a bandit, he had no trouble fighting him. But when he let himself think about the fact that his opponent was a _person _with a family and dreams he couldn't bring himself to do the same.

She knew the feeling well – she had the same problem.

"I've no love for war," he continued bleakly. "Families and innocents always pay the price for nobles' foolish politics. I don't want this to end in war – I pray that we can find a way to resolve things peacefully."

Hector looked as if he was going to say something, a very odd look on his face that Adelessa recognized as sympathy, when Marcus rode up. "Lord Eliwood!" The paladin drew his steed to a halt before the three. "I'm here to report. A knight has ridden forth from the castle."

"A knight?" Eliwood asked. "Is he on his own?"

"Yes, my lord," Marcus answered. "It was Marquess Laus' son, Erik. He asked to see you."

Both Eliwood and Hector's faces flashed with recognition, though Hector scowled right after. "Gah – why, of all the blowhard nobles, did it have to be that festering cankerblossom?" Eliwood's pointed look made him subside into grumbled insults.

"I will see him. Bring him here. Do you have anything else to report?"

"I do," Marcus affirmed. "We've only seen one group of soldiers out on patrol – they're to the south, by a small village near the coast. They seem to be standing guard. Perhaps the locals have been having problems with bandits or raiders. Lowen and I haven't been able to look into the woods, but we haven't yet seen anyone moving around there."

"Very good. You may escort Erik here now, if you would." Marcus gave a sharp salute and rode to the east. Adelessa, on the other hand, found herself thinking over this strange new turn of events. _At least there aren't any obvious signs of a trap. Still, there's no telling what could be hiding in those trees. They're thick and dark enough that it would be impossible to scry what's in there, even with my spyglass to help me._

"I'm leaving." Hector's sudden announcement broke her out of her frantic calculations. "I never could abide Erik, you know that. I'll go out. Maybe take a look at the woods myself." As surly as he was at the moment, Adelessa wished that Hector was staying here. Usually Matthew left with him and she could sorely use the spy's company to keep her calm and relaxed right about now.

There was small amount of relief that she realized that he was speaking to Oswin instead of Matthew. "We're going out scouting," he informed the knight. "Eliwood's pandering to Erik and I can't stand him, presumptuous pail of pus that he is."

"Hector..."

"Don't give me that." There was a significant pause. "You know, he made a big show of riding out alone. I don't trust that." The two moved out of her range of hearing. He brought up a good point: normally noblemen rode with at least some kind of escort. If Hector's judge of him was at all accurate, this kind of action was terribly out of character. Adelessa sharpened her focus and prepared herself for the conversation when she saw the man with Marcus.

He was handsome enough, she supposed, clad in gleaming plum-and-gold armor. He had a square face and held his matching helmet in a burly hand. He certainly was a sight with his horse in matching tack, but it seemed extravagant and unnecessary. Adelessa found she was beginning to agree with Hector's estimation of the man.

"Eliwood, my friend!" Erik's tone was jovial and conversational - _too _jovial and conversational - and Adelessa immediately distrusted it. He was after something, she was sure of it. "It's good to see you. Now who is this?" She started slightly when he pointed her. "I hope she's just a servant to help you while you travel. You could do so much better among the ranks of young noblewomen."

Adelessa bristled at his tone but thought better of replying. "This is Lady Aydie, my adviser," Eliwood replied. His voice could freeze rivers. "She's been of great assistance while I've been traveling."

"Hm. If you say so." Erik's dismissive tone made letting Eliwood lead the conversation very difficult. Somehow Adelessa managed. "Speaking of traveling, where might you be heading? To Ostia, perhaps, to visit that brute? Honestly, I don't understand how you stand him. He acts as if he's peasant-born and speaks like he was raised in a barn!" There was a slight look of trepidation on his face. "He isn't with you, is he? Have you spoken with him recently? Say, by letter?"

Even Eliwood couldn't find a way to justify ignoring Erik's suspicious behavior any longer. His eye narrowed in suspicion, he asked, "What is it that you're trying to find out, Erik?"

The other noble made one last play at deniability by painting himself as overly innocent. "Pardon?"

"Erik, you and your father have half-built siege engines sitting in the town squares and your fields are trampled from drilling. You're not hiding anything here!" He leaned forward, his face grim and his eyes locked on Erik. "What are you planning - you will tell me!"

The congenial expression on Erik's face slipped off to be replaced with a sneer. It looked far more at home there than the facade of friendliness did. "Well, I'd hoped to wait until you'd told me of Ostia. I wanted to know if you've spoken to the marquess or not."

"What?" The sudden change threw Eliwood for a loop. If she was being honest, Adelessa would admit that it threw her for a loop, too.

"Eliwood, I have always _despised_ you," he laughed. "I've wanted to crush you and your stupid morality ever since we were forced together by class. I've long dreamed of this day – now it's here at last!" He raised his lance, preparing to strike a blow-

-only to have Hector bat the lance down into the ground. "Too bad you'll not live to see the end of it." His voice was a dangerous rumble of thunder, low and full of anger.

"Y- _you!_" Erik dragged back on the reins, causing his horse to rear and stagger back. "You – you couldn't have – have you spoken with your brother already?"

"Maybe I did." Hector tone was almost lazy. "Maybe I didn't." If she didn't know him better, Adelessa would have thought that he was having a normal conversation. "Eliwood, this _cur _has troops scattered all around in the forest, Laus uniforms on each one. This isn't going to be easy."

Erik gave a strangled, nervous laugh that grew more confident when he swept his gaze across the group. "Look at you – there's almost no point in fighting you! Look at how few of you there are and the pitiful excuse of an adviser that you have! There's no way you'll win – my forces will overwhelm you in battering waves of men. Laus' elite knights will be your doom." He laughed nastily. "How long do you think you'll survive?"

"I think we'll be just fine." The cool voice that spoke surprised the group. Adelessa was surprised at herself, really. "Your posturing fools no one. We're not afraid of you and your hollow threats." Erik stared at her, boggled. It was with no small amount of pleasure that she gave him her most polite, meaningless smile and watched him back away in confusion.

"Trollop!" he snapped.

His retreat was likely supposed to be a signal of some sort to the troops in the woods. While he rode away from the group, men streamed from the sanctuary of the trees. Thanks to bringing Erik to them and Hector's warning of the waiting enemies, the trap lost any effect it might have had as an ambush. Simply the sight of the lords and other fighters in their group caused men expecting to find unprepared opponents to falter; they retreated of their own accord.

Adelessa reached up for the lowest branch of a nearby tree, grasping it firmly before she started to scale it. "Hey, Aydie, wait a minute – you don't have to do that if you don't want to." Matthew's quiet voice made her look down at him. Seeing the concern in his eyes did funny things to her pulse. She must have looked confused, because he added, "I remember last year, how you were scared when you had to fly with Florina. I can look at what's going on."

"No, I'm fine – at least up here, I'm not trusting my safety to something I don't have any say over." Adelessa gave him her best smile and kept climbing. When she glanced down to set her foot several branches later, her heart flipped in her chest. He was still down on the ground, peering up at her. His thoughtfulness warmed her in a way that she didn't entirely want to acknowledge. _This is _so _not the time, Adelessa!_

Reaching down to her belt, her hand brushed over the surprisingly comforting new weight of the knife that rested on her right side. While she didn't know how good she'd be with it in a real fight, it was better than having nothing at all. Besides, it was usually when one wasn't prepared for it that trouble struck. When she put her spyglass to her eye, Adelessa couldn't help but hiss in dismay.

There were two obvious rows of Laus' cavaliers waiting along their path. If they wanted to approach the castle, they'd have to go through them. Along with that, she saw several more horsemen at the gate in a clump. _If they're not waiting to extract Darin,_ she thought, _I will ship myself to the Nabata desert._Pulling a face at that despite herself – ever since her brush with heat sickness on the plains of Sacae Adelessa couldn't bring herself to enjoy hot weather – she began her careful descent from the tree.

"There are two lines of cavalry waiting between where we are now and the castle. If we want to stop Lord Darin before he leaves," she said, looking at each person in the company in turn, "we'll have to move quickly. We can do that easily if we stay together. They have troops waiting for us, yes, but they're equipped mostly with lances and we have plenty of axe-fighters."

While speaking, Adelessa had been pulling her map of Laus out from one of Rhea's saddlebags. She spread it out for the others to see and drew faint lines with some chalk. "Here – we want to cut straight west. Stay away from the cliffs and the beach if possible." Glancing up, she frowned a little: the dark gray clouds above them looked heavy with rain. _That's what we get for being in Lycia during summer,_she thought unhappily. "The weather will slow us down, but it will do the same for them. Merlinus, it would be safest for you if you stayed in the village we passed a while back – you can set up shop there and peddle your wares, if you'd like. Everyone understand? Then let's push for Castle Laus – it's time we confront the marquess!"

It was a simple plan. Adelessa should have known that it wouldn't be that easy.

It started to go haywire when she saw a flash of light and heard the crack of thunder that came with it from the top of a bluff to the north. It was too regular, too precise and small, to be anything but anima magic. _Just what I wanted – there's an anima mage about and I have no idea of he's for Laus or against them!_ As much as she didn't really want to deal with it, Adelessa couldn't ignore something as potentially dangerous as this. _At least the first line of cavaliers haven't attacked yet. If I hurry…._

"Matthew, Serra, Guy," she said, naming the three people that she felt would be the best at moving quickly with her and who would be least missed if they weren't at the front lines right now, "would you come with me?" Splintering off from the main group, they huddled to one side. "There's a mage at the top of that ridge," and Adelessa pointed there, "and I want to go investigate. Follow me."

She had to backtrack for almost one hundred yards before she found the trail that led up the cliff. Each threaded up it carefully: while it wasn't nearly as treacherous as trying to scale the face of the cliff, it was still steep enough that it wouldn't be a fun fall. Adelessa motioned for the others to stay back for a moment when she reached the point where it leveled out to the top of the ridge.

The still-smoldering corpse of a soldier – she'd guess Laus if only because of how many there were running around right now – laid at the feet of a red-robed mage. While the robe hid most of the features of the person in front of her, violet hair peeked out of the hood. Adelessa's gasp of recognition caused the mage to whirl around, his fingers dancing with jagged lines of electricity, and the tactician's hands shot up in the air.

"It's me – it's Aydie! Please don't shoot!"

"_Aydie?_" Erk's surprise was obvious. He nearly dropped his tome in his hurry to dismiss the magic he'd summoned. "What are you doing here?" There was a strange, secondary flash of recognition that ran across his face, though it was gone so soon that Adelessa had to wonder if she'd imagined it.

"Is that an Erk I hear?" That was the only warning either of them got before a white-and-pink blur pushed past Adelessa and latched onto Erk. "Elimine bless, Erk, it's been _forever_ since I last saw you!" Serra's smile was bright; either she couldn't see or was ignoring the utterly dismayed expression on the mage's face. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh. Serra." His voice was flat. "You're… the last person I wanted to see."

"You're such a charmer, saying you wanted to see me again!" She laughed and batted at his shoulder with one hand, drifting away to preen at her imagined flattery.

Both Adelessa and Erk stared at the oblivious cleric, boggled by her ability to completely miss the point of what he said to her. Shaking her head, Adelessa finally answered Erk's question with, "We're here with Lord Eliwood to investigate Marquess Pherae's disappearance. We have reason to suspect that Marquess Laus had a hand in making Lord Elbert vanish."

"You're fighting against Laus?" he clarified. She nodded and he remained silent, thinking, for a long moment. "Perhaps we could be of assistance to each other." By this time, Matthew and Guy had joined them to see what had Serra all in a tizzy; Guy still looked puzzled, but the spy next to him gave Erk a wry, sympathetic smile. "My employer – a young noblewoman – hired me to serve as her escort while she travels. We had stopped here to rest and resupply when Lord Darin happened by the village in which we were staying. He saw Lady Priscilla and immediately became besotted with her. After she refused his personal invitation and the first missive he sent to have her join him in the castle, he grew angry and surrounded the village with soldiers. No one has been allowed in or out – I only just managed to escape – and he'll keep things this way unless she agrees to live in the castle." The words "with him" were left unsaid but heavily implied. "If you'll help me get her out, I'll happily lend you my skills as a mage."

Anger and hate like acid pooled in the bottom of Adelessa's gut. Her heart reached out for the poor girl, trapped against her will and being forced to be with someone. She knew that situation all too well. "I doubt Eliwood would want to deny the chance to help someone in such desperate need of assistance," she replied. "We'll gladly help you rescue her."

A fat drop of rain splattered down onto her nose at the same time that Adelessa heard the unmistakable sounds of combat. She turned quickly and immediately put her spyglass to her eye. The first wave of cavaliers had engaged the main portion of the group. Hector wasn't hard to spot - he was in a clump of enemies, though he wasn't under much duress. While the other fighters didn't seem as gleeful to be fighting the horsemen, no one seemed majorly injured or had dire odds against them.

Relieved to see that they were doing well, Adelessa let herself relax a little bit. That's why she was taken so off-guard when she was grabbed by the back of her over-tunic and _hauled _off her feet. Her hands only just managed to cling to her spyglass and she had to spit out a chunk of hair when she looked to the side to see who had grabbed her. Matthew and Guy both had a firm grip on her, though Guy let go and sprung forward to slit a crimson line from a bandit's shoulder to his navel.

Erk - perhaps out of habit - had already pushed Serra to the path and away from the bandits. Matthew did the same for Adelessa before he joined Guy in attacking the brigands. In a wild glance at her surroundings, she saw that there were more coming down from the steep ravine to the north.

"Get going - we'll follow you," Matthew assured her when she hesitated. He and Guy seemed to have the situation well in hand now that they weren't on their heels with surprise. The main difference between their two fighting styles was that Guy used a full sword instead of knives like the spy: they both preferred quick, precise strikes rather than heavy blows. Against brutish fighters like these bandits, it was a very effective way to fight. Because of their greater speed and agility not a single brigand landed a hit.

It was pouring rain by then and Adelessa was soaked to the bone. Her hair was plastered to her head and she needed to drag wayward locks of it away from her eyes more than once. She ran down the slope only as fast as she dared: the ground was slick with mud and a poorly-placed step would send her sliding down the rest of the trail. Shouts from behind and above her told that Matthew and Guy were both following them down the path.

Whether because of their speed in scrambling down the slope, Matthew and Guy's devastating strikes, or sheer dumb luck that there was no sign of the bandits when they reached the base of the cliff Adelessa couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she was _so glad _that she was back on level ground again. "Could you warn me next time before you do that?" she asked, her voice plaintive despite her best efforts to keep it from sounding like such.

"Sure," Matthew gasped, doubled over while he caught his breath. "I'll make sure to give you the exact location of your attacker and calmly direct you to the closest escape route while he sits and twiddles his thumbs." Rolling his eyes that hard should have made them pop right out of his skull. Adelessa couldn't help the breathless laugh that burst out of her. Matthew joined in a second later, leaving the other three to be absolutely poleaxed as to why they were both having fits of laughter.

They still hadn't entirely composed themselves by the time they mostly caught their breath, but the five of them couldn't afford to squander any time here. The tactician needed to know what was going on in the battle as a whole and staying where bandits had attacked was a terrible idea. So, even though they were still a bit winded, the small group struck off to regroup with the main force.

Eliwood was the first one to see them through the rain. He waved and waited for them to get within speaking distance. "Aydie, welcome back – don't worry, there were no major injuries. Hector, Dorcas, and Bartre were more than able to fend off and fight the knights that attacked us." Sure enough; looking around, Adelessa could see that the most notable thing was that Lowen had stripped off a piece of the armor on his arm. Marcus was looking it over and shaking his head.

"Eliwood, you might remember Erk from when you helped Lyndis during the inheritance dispute." When he nodded in agreement, she added, "He's escorting a young lady and Lord Darin has trapped her in a village southwest of here. If we help him rescue her, he'll lend us his strength for this fight."

"This won't affect our chances of catching Lord Darin before he leaves?"

That was a reasonable question. Unfortunately, Adelessa didn't think that they would be able to catch Darin whether they assisted Erk or not. He'd had plenty of time already to abscond if he had the chance. "I believe," she said finally, "that doing this won't change the outcome."

"Then we'll be more than happy to assist you," Eliwood told Erk. The mage gave his thanks while Adelessa found another tree to climb. She wasn't going to sit here and rush into a new situation without getting her bearings. Her spyglass was in her hand and she was scoping out the situation close to Castle Laus in more detail in less than a minute. Now that she knew the reason behind the guard around the village, it made a great deal more sense for why foot soldiers were mixed in with the mounted knights. They were concentrated around the village. _Likely they were guards that got pulled into the conflict despite their previous orders. With how many Eliwood and Hector fought earlier, it might be easy to break through their line._

It was when she was almost ready to climb back down that Adelessa heard Erik's voice. She clutched the trunk of the tree and rapidly scanned the ground near it before she realized that the wind had shifted. She was hearing his shouted orders from across the fields. "… stronger than I thought! Go to the castle and get me reinforcements. I want them _now!_" Allowing herself a small, smug grin – _Looks like someone underestimated us!_– Adelessa returned to the ground.

"It's looking like they have fewer men on guard around the village than we have in our company," she started. That brightened their spirits. "_And_ they're not expecting us. We can punch through them quickly as long as we have the element of surprise."

"Then we'll do that," Eliwood replied firmly. He and Hector started forward with Marcus and Lowen on either side of them. Oswin and Erk were right behind those four and Adelessa hurried forward to walk with those two.

The two cavaliers surged forward as soon as they saw the enemies standing guard outside of the village. Between being bowled over and out of the way and scrambling away from the knights, there was a clear path into the village. Right behind them was Erk. He shouted and lightning leapt from his hand to enmesh a knight in jagged yellow-white lines. He didn't wait to see what happened to him. Instead, he whirled around and gave a sword-wielding soldier the same treatment. Hector, Eliwood, and Oswin flanked and followed the mage, driving away any opponents who tried to attack him and finishing off those his magic didn't.

With that sudden surge, their group – even Serra and Rebecca at the back – was in the village. Erk knew exactly what he was doing: before the rest of the group had even collected itself, he was knocking smartly on the front door of one of the houses. "Lady Priscilla, it's Erk. I've made a way for you to get out of here."

When Priscilla emerged from the door Adelessa understood why the marquess would find her lovely. Her red hair – while short – was neat and shone with health. Olive eyes were set in a soft, gentle face and were the same color as the tunic she wore. White, gauzy fabric formed sleeves and a short, rounded cape and a white skirt draped down to her calves. Its hem brushed sensible leather riding boots that matched the tack of a chestnut-colored horse that grazed mildly at the side of the house.

"I'm glad – I was starting to worry that I wouldn't ever be able to leave." Her voice was light and sweet. "Who are these people?"

Erk gestured at each of the three people he introduced. "These three – the leaders – are Lord Eliwood of Pherae, Lord Hector of Ostia, and Lady Aydie, our tactician." Adelessa didn't miss the way he automatically included himself in the group. She also noticed that he almost hesitated when he introduced her. _I'll have to ask him about that later,_she thought as she rose from the bow she gave the young noblewoman. "This is Lady Priscilla of House Caerleon of Etruria."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Adelessa said. "I hate to break formality and seem rude, but the fighting is going to be fierce here soon. Do you have any combat training? If you don't, that's fine – we're able to protect you should you need it."

"I've never been taught to fight, but I _am_ trained in the use of staves and have practice using them while riding. I'd like to help, if you'll have me."

"Certainly – we can use all the help we can get. Stay with Serra, our cleric: she'll help you get used to the way we do things. Rebecca, you'll make sure to keep an eye out for anyone around those two?" Rebecca nodded. Priscilla mounted up onto her horse, settling herself in the saddle. "Just make sure-"

She cut herself off abruptly. When Hector started to say something to her about her sudden silence, Adelessa shushed him with a single upheld finger. Had she just imagined that? No – there it was: Erik's voice was muted, but she could hear it. The wind was in just the right direction again.

"Where are they – you were supposed to get _reinforcements_, you scumsucking idiotic excuse for a soldier!" He was bellowing; she could almost see him, red in the face and disheveled after all that went wrong for him. "No matter – men, form up. Charge! Target the girl in the green coat – she's the one directing them." She was a lot less amused and a lot more scared once she actually heard what he was saying. "Kill all of them – let none survive, but leave Eliwood to _me!_"

"Axe-users, to the north!" she yelled in reply. The world gained the crystal clarity that came with these do-or-die moments. "Brace for a charge!" She knew the necessary course of action; it formed in her mind's eye in a second. "Lowen, Marcus, join them!" There was no more time – the knights of Laus crested over a rise just north of the town, an avalanche made of horse, rider, and steel.

Adelessa had ordered several cavalry charges in her time as a tactician, albeit with only a couple of cavaliers. Never before had she been on the receiving end of one and especially not one with this many horsemen. The line of them crashed against the five she had sent forward first with all the violence of a wave breaking on a cliff. Most stopped there, including Erik; a few more were halted by Oswin, Guy, and Eliwood, with Rebecca and Erk providing ranged support. Matthew stayed by the healers; he didn't have a prayer against knights equipped with lances.

One managed to pass through all of that, intent on carrying out Erik's command to kill the tactician. The knife was in her hand. Adelessa wasn't sure when it had gotten there. Watching the knight, she shifted to a balanced stance that Matthew had taught her just the other day. Her reflexes sent her in a sidelong leap to avoid his attempt to pierce her through. She landed on her shoulder, rolled, and scrambled back up on her feet as he turned his mount around, only to drop down to one knee when her foot slipped in the mud. The knight was already starting his second pass: there was no _time_-

For the second time that day, Adelessa found herself being dragged backward by her over-tunic. The strong grip on her back heaved, she drew her legs to her chest, and her toes cleared the horse's smashing hooves by mere inches. Over her stood Matthew, facing down the cavalier. The knight was about to start a third pass when Hector smashed into him from one side and Dorcas on the other. With its rider dead, the horse spooked and fled into the forest.

Matthew helped her stand. She was thoroughly coated in mud: there was more brown than green on her over-tunic. Getting it all off would be an ordeal to which she was _not _looking forward. Shrugging off that thought – there were more important things to focus on at the moment – she turned her attention to the remnants of the fight. Dead men and horses were hard to look at.

"Laus is the _true _throne of Lycia!" The last man fighting was Erik. He had his sword locked with Eliwood's and was bearing down on him. Eliwood neatly pivoted to one side. The other nobleman must not have been expecting it: he jerked down, slipping half from the saddle. Hector seized him the front of his tunic and dragged him to the ground. Adelessa gingerly made her way over the churned, muddy ground. She stood between the two lords and looked down at the furious young nobleman.

"You won't keep me as a prisoner!" he spat, struggling with the slick mud to get to his feet. When he made to reach for his dropped sword, Eliwood and Hector both stopped him by leveling their weapons at him. Erik froze.

"I was under the impression that was what had already happened," Adelessa said mildly. She heard Matthew snickering somewhere behind her and fought to keep a straight face. Somehow laughing in Erik's face didn't strike her as a very good idea.

"You-!" He made as if to lunge at her. Hector stepped in and roughly grabbed a handful of tunic showing from underneath his armor.

"_You_," the blue-haired lord growled, "are going to work with us or so help me Elimine I will forget that Eliwood convinced me that you're better off not beaten into a pulp. Got it?" When Erik gave a begrudging and scared nod, Hector let him go. "Keep an eye on this one," he told Oswin and Matthew. "Sing out if you see him up to anything fishy."

With that settled, Erik grudgingly followed Eliwood's orders. Adelessa happily let him take the lead; she wanted nothing to do with trying to wrangle the barely cooperative Erik into following _her _orders. They entered the castle and fanned out to scour it from tower to cellar. Adelessa found herself in the kitchens and tried to ignore the looks that the servants gave her. She tried questioning them as to where the marquess was, but her inquiries returned nothing useful; none of them had seen him since early in the morning when he took breakfast with his advisor and son.

Returning to the main hall, she found that only Erk was out there. _He must have had an area through which he could go quickly,_she thought. Remembering that she had meant to ask him about the odd hesitation when he introduced her to Priscilla, she started to walk over to the mage. "No luck?" she asked.

"There was no sign of him," he answered. Adelessa was quiet for a moment, trying to find a tactful way to broach the subject, but Erk spoke first. "Your full first name is Adelessa, is it not?" She snapped her gaze to him in surprise: how could he know that? She'd never used it around him. Only Matthew knew her full name and he didn't seem like he would tell. Her reaction was enough confirmation for him; he continued with, "I was speaking with Lord Pent about the incident in Caelin and he informed me that I had been working with his foster daughter."

Adelessa stared at him for a moment. "Wait. _You're_ his student?" Suddenly pieces started falling into place. _No wonder he's so good with anima magic – if he's learning from Pent it's no surprise!_Erk must have good connections, extraordinary talent, or both if he was being tutored by the Mage General of Etruria.

"I am indeed. Adel- Aydie," he corrected, seeing the slight shake of her head, "is there a reason that you prefer not to be known as a noble? As a tactician, you already have a title. You might as well let others know you're associated with House Reglay."

"I'm just their foster daughter," she disagreed. "Honestly, I'm hardly even that anymore. Once they're eighteen, fosters are considered independent and return to their home and proper title. Pent and Louise are just extending me the courtesy of a place where I can rest between journeys until I'm hired as a permanent tactician somewhere." That wasn't _quite _true: Adelessa was deeply fond of the two and would have loved to stay with the household. Unfortunately, she couldn't bring herself to just stay.

The return of other members of the party saved her from having to answer any more uncomfortable questions. She hoped that Erk wouldn't call her out as a noble: she preferred the others treating her like a normal person. Losing the camaraderie that she'd built with others because of who her foster parents were was one of the last things she wanted to have happen.

It was only when everyone was assembled that the news came out: Lord Darin, Marquess of Laus, was nowhere to be found in the castle.

"Erik, you have to tell us," Eliwood said, his voice on the fine line between a plea and an order. "Where is your father? We've searched the entire castle and there's no sign of him."

Erik's face lost all its color as he stared in shock at Eliwood. He turned to Hector and Adelessa, the other two who were there to question him, to see if their faces would belie that Eliwood was lying. He gasped out, "Don't be ridiculous!" His voice was void of all the bluster it held prior to now. "He wouldn't – he would _never_ abandon me!" Something twisted in his face, turning despair into hatred. "Ephidel," he hissed.

"Ephidel?" Adelessa jumped on that name. "Is that someone your father knew?"

When Erik only stared at her in stony silence, Hector grabbed him by the tunic once again. "Hector, leave him be!" Eliwood's scolding made him set down the other young nobleman. The redheaded lord crouched down in front of where Erik sat. "Erik, please – we need to know this. _I_ need to know this, know everything that you're hiding." His voice was soft and betrayed the pain of losing his father. If she thought he was that cunning, Adelessa would have accused him of doing it on purpose. She knew, however, that Eliwood wasn't nearly that duplicitous. He was simply speaking to Erik as he'd want to be spoken to. "I… I just want to know where my father is."

The raw pain in Eliwood's voice – already charismatic, even without having the common ground of missing fathers – convinced Erik. Adelessa could see the change in his face. He spoke to Eliwood alone. "Ephidel," he started, "appeared at the castle one year ago. Before, my father was unhappy with Laus' position in the Lycian League. We provide so much food and have such good troops – why shouldn't we be the leader instead of Ostia?" Hector snorted at that and got a nasty look in response. "He'd never spoken of anything so drastic as rebellion, though.

"Then Ephidel came. My father changed – whether Ephidel told him something or showed him some secret, I don't know. Whatever it was, it convinced my father to conceive this plan and set it into motion. He started quietly building and training new troops. After several months of preparation, he sent envoys to other marquesses to see if any would support his plan of rebellion. Marquess Pherae was the second to approve of it."

"_What?_" Hector gaped at first Erik and then Eliwood. Adelessa was shocked; she'd no idea that the peaceful Lord Elbert might have anything to do with fomenting rebellion. It was hard to believe.

Eliwood was just as taken off guard. He returned with a vigorous, heartfelt, "Never – my father would _never_ agree to something like this!"

Erik shrugged. "Believe what you will," he said. "That's not my problem – I'm just telling the story as I know it. Marquess Santaruz was the first to respond, and then your father did. Six months ago, he came here to give his final approval and pledge what support he was willing to provide."

Eliwood rolled back on his heels, obviously astounded and bewildered. "That – that's not possible. He wouldn't…."

Forging on – likely completely ignoring Eliwood – Erik continued with, "Our fathers argued when Lord Elbert arrived. Marquess Pherae had always distrusted Ephidel; he didn't like that he was associated with the Black Fang. He didn't want 'that league of Bernese assassins' involved in Lycian business." Goosebumps crawled up Adelessa's arms. The same group that was involved with hunting Nils and Ninian was involved in Lycian politics? _There's no way that this will end well._ "My father wasn't willing to change that part of his plan – the Black Fang troops are necessary in order to subdue any combined forces against ours. Marquess Pherae left and, as you know, he then disappeared. Somehow I doubt he's still alive."

Eliwood flinched, the last sentence causing him what almost looked like physical pain. Hector snarled at Erik. "Shut that hole – he doesn't need to hear any of your bile!"

"He said he wanted to hear everything," Erik replied flatly. "Has that changed?" When Eliwood didn't answer, he shrugged. "My father – he became Ephidel's puppet. He'll do anything he says, even – even, apparently, leave me to die." A mad laugh bubbled on his lips, the sound a person stressed far past his emotional ability. He grabbed Eliwood's cape, pulling him forward. "These are the kind of people you're dealing with! Marquess Pherae betrayed them – do you really think they'd let him live?"

Adelessa gently drew Eliwood back after Hector peeled Erik's fingers off of his cape. Eliwood gently shook off her hands and quickly walked out of the room. Hector glanced between Erik and his retreating friend, not entirely sure what to do with the situation. "Marcus, would you be willing to stand guard over Erik?" Adelessa asked. _He needs to be with Eliwood – rather, Eliwood needs someone to be with him. This is a lot to take at once._

"Certainly." The nod she received from Marcus showed that he had been thinking the same thing as she was. "I'll make sure he won't cause any trouble." The sheer expression of gratitude on Hector's face made it worth any verbal abuse Adelessa thought she might take. Then he was off to track down and console his friend.

Adelessa tucked her legs neatly beneath her when she settled in front of Erik. The glare on his face was half-hearted, likely more for show and out of habit than any real effort to despise her. It didn't warm her attitude toward him any, but it was nice to know that she wasn't going into a fight that was completely impossible to win. "I need to know," she told him, "everything _you_ know about this Ephidel. What he looks like, how he acts, for whom he's working - everything."

She didn't let him rest until he'd answered her questions to her satisfaction or proven that he didn't know enough to give her an answer. Unfortunately, there was far more to the latter than the former: Erik knew disappointingly little that she could use. She at least felt like she could hope to identify him if she was looking for him. Erik described him as being pale and his skin having a noticeable cast of gray to it. He had always been swathed and hidden under a dark purple-gray cloak, but the nobleman had insisted that the golden eyes under the cowl all but glowed. He was frightfully intelligent, cunning, and ruthless.

Adelessa sat on a bench on the side of the hall. She could feel that her mouth was tucked down into a frown and the tightness on her forehead that meant that she was creasing furrows into it. _The news about this Ephidel person is unsettling. There's very little that isn't frightening about a commander who's smart, fast on his feet, and has no qualms with spilling blood to get what he wants._ She ran her fingers along the gold chain around her neck; the smooth metal slipping between her fingers was calming and kept her from showing her agitation more noticeably. Her over-tunic was folded next to her, waiting for her to properly wash it just as soon as someone else came to relieve her of watching Erik. She had sent Marcus and Lowen out to work on defenses for this place. She'd hate to get a nasty surprise. _Spirits, I just don't like this. There's so much going on that we can't account for!_

"Penny for your thoughts? Better yet, how about some dinner?"

"You are a wonderful person," Adelessa told Matthew, gratefully taking the plate from him. Some sort of stew sat on top of a plain piece of bread and some potatoes. "Just… thinking, really. I'm trying to keep all of it straight in my head."

"I'm surprised you don't write more down." He sat on the other side of her. They both started eating and Adelessa shook her head while she stirred some of the stew into the potatoes.

"Writing something down means someone else can find it and exploit it." Matthew colored at that. "Oh, don't worry. All you got was my first name. I'm not _so _upset about that. But if I don't keep it all up here," and she tapped her forehead with one finger, "that means I can lose sheets of paper or someone can steal and read them. I've got a good memory. It's just been a very long day and I want to make sure I remember as much as possible before I go to sleep tonight."

"Huh. Makes sense. I guess most of us spies do the same thing." He popped a forkful in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "I always assumed you academic types usually had all kinds of papers. You had enough when we were with Lyn, anyway."

"Since when have I been _usual?_" They both chuckled over that for a moment. "And that was studying. That's a different matter entirely." She yawned into her hand. The stresses of directing a battle didn't help after uneasy sleep coming into Laus.

"I saw that – you need to go to bed, you lightweight," Matthew informed her cheerfully. "Up you go. I'll watch over this oaf." He made shooing motions with his hands until she got up and gathered her over-tunic. "Sleep well."

"You too – good night, Matthew." On her way to the quarters they'd claimed, she saw Hector and Eliwood talking outside. For a moment she thought about joining them, but decided against it. Matthew was right – she needed sleep – and they were likely having a private conversation. She fell into bed and stared for a moment at the richly-textured ceiling of the room she'd chosen. _At least Erk hasn't told anyone about my being the foster daughter of Lord Pent._ _Perhaps I'll be able to keep hiding it from them. It doesn't hurt anyone when I keep from talking about my history. Just so long as we stay away from anywhere they might know me._ She closed her eyes. _I can always tell them later. Yes – I'll tell them later, when it might matter. It's nice being just Aydie, tactician, rather than anyone else._

She happily ignored any twinges of concern about not being completely honest and instead went to sleep.

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><p><strong>AN:** Oh my goodness guys I am so sorry about how late this is. ;~))) Life stuff happened - this chapter got nuked when my flash drive crashed when it was almost done and we had a death in the family recently that made it hard to write along with finals. It was... rough. But I'm back now!

Thanks to my lovely lovely beta. You are a wonderful person and deserve cookies and a scarf. Oh wait right I'm knitting one now~

To my reviewers! You're fantastic. **Tom-Ato13, AquaticSilver, MilleniaMaster, Drachegirl14, Sieben Nightwing, Solyeuse, patattack, Vanguardian Setherosa, **and **DrakeDarkblade**! You guys rock, seriously!

I'm going to try to get into my normal updating pattern again here shortly. Thanks for waiting!

**EDIT: I have a Tumblr now guys! If you'd like, you can follow me on there - I'll try to talk about things in the ABM-verse. Let me know if you'd like the link!**


	22. Talons Alight

Talons Alight

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><p><strong>AN: WARNING: Especially graphic depictions of violence and injuries in this chapter. The weak of heart or stomach should be warned.**

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><p>"Aydie! Aydie, get up!" Instant and complete wakefulness propelled her out of bed. Adelessa was on her feet and at the door before she really comprehended what was going on. Her feet were bare and her hair was rumpled with sleep, but she had slept in the yellow shirt and her leggings, so at least she was decent. She threw open the door to see Rebecca, fully dressed and ready for a fight, on the other side. "We're under attack!"<p>

"_What?_" No more eloquence was going to come to her, not at this hour of the- "What do you mean, under attack? What time is it?"

"Enemy soldiers were spotted surrounding the castle – Oswin believes there may be some inside the castle already," the girl rattled off. Adelessa could tell that she was reciting something told to her. Probably someone had given her the message for the express purpose that Adelessa would ask. "It's an hour until dawn."

"Well, I'm glad I asked for those watches tonight after all," Adelessa replied. She motioned for Rebecca to come into her room. Pulling her socks on, she asked, "Are they Laus soldiers trying to retake the castle?"

"We're not sure." Adelessa shoved her feet into her boots. "All we know is they're not bandits – they're too well-coordinated for that."

"Any sign of Erik having called for help or sabotaged us in some other way?" She settled her belt on her hips and patted both sides in an instinctive check for both her spyglass and knife.

"No – he's been sleeping. Whoever they are, they're not working with Erik. At least not that _he_ knows of." The disdainful sniff Rebecca gave made Adelessa chuckle as she straightened. It wasn't worth putting on her over-tunic: it wasn't cold enough to bother with while it was still muddy. Instead she worked on pulling her hair back. As soon as she saw what Adelessa was doing, Rebecca came over and quickly bound her hair into a plait down her back.

"Is everyone up?"

"If they aren't now, they will be in the next couple of minutes. Oswin sent us out quietly so we can take 'em by surprise." Rebecca leaned around her with a bright grin. "Lowen's off getting the men. I already woke up Serra and Priscilla. We're meeting in the audience hall, where Marquess Louse did his business."

Adelessa laughed at the girl's nickname for the lord. "Then we'd best be going, shouldn't we?" She snagged Rebecca's hand and peered out into the hall. It was dark and near impossible to see anything. Where Rebecca's clothes were dark and blended into the wall, Adelessa stood out with her light-colored shirt and bare arms. "Tell me if you see something," she whispered.

They slunk through the hallway, steps as silent as the stones around them. Rebecca's time spent as a hunter were serving her well; Adelessa's years of sneaking around a castle not unlike this one were being put to good use. Adelessa kept her ears and eyes open, alert so she could notice any trouble before they walked into it.

They had made it halfway to the audience hall when the sound of soft footsteps trickled to Adelessa's ears. She halted immediately and pressed Rebecca against the wall; they were far too close to an intersection for her comfort, but she didn't dare move away. The sound didn't change except to grow louder. It lacked the tell-tale bright notes that signified metal brushing against metal; either the intruders had forsaken their equipment or they knew how to wrap them in cloth to deaden noise. Since the former seemed _very_ unlikely, Adelessa had to assume the latter.

She saw him at about the same time he saw her. He had just turned the corner as Adelessa motioned for Rebecca to back up and look for another way to the audience hall. She stared at the mercenary – it was obvious from his equipment: good, but without emblems of service to a house – and he stared at her for the briefest of instants.

Then he started forward, drawing a straight-edged sword. Adelessa pushed the green-haired archer behind her and drew her knife, balancing on the balls of her feet. She spun her wrist once, loosening it up just like Matthew had shown her, and watched the very deliberate pace at which the mercenary walked toward her.

She didn't dare try for the offensive. This apparently suited the mercenary fine; his arms flexed as he hauled the sword into a swing. With that first sweep of the sword, one that she was forced to dodge, Adelessa had a sudden and complete understanding of why Hector enjoyed fighting so much. The adrenaline singing in her blood was one of the sharpest feelings she had ever experienced. The near miss as she danced to one side set her heart to pounding and she could finally comprehend why people said that there was a fierce joy in combat.

That said, she didn't care for it much herself.

There was another swing – the backstroke sibling of the one she'd just dodged – and she had to scramble to avoid it this time. Her fingers were locked in a death-grip on her knife. She knew – she _knew_– that she had to fight back, that dodging would get her nowhere, but she couldn't get in close without risking that blade taking off her head as neatly as a scythe through grain-

His roar of pain was a shock after the near silence in the hallway. He clutched his left shoulder where an arrow sprouted from the thick muscle. Adelessa heard ragged breathing. It took her a moment to realize it was her own. As soon as the mercenary made a move to go after Rebecca in revenge, the tactician threw herself in his way. She made a single precise slash, a motion practiced time and time again until Matthew decided that he was satisfied with it. A couple drops of warm, sticky blood fell onto her right hand.

Her sense of satisfaction at having successfully completed an attack faded when her opponent heaved his sword up despite the bleeding slash on his upper arm. There was nowhere for her to go to avoid the swing that hurtled toward her: she was pinned between the walls to keep him from reaching Rebecca. Adelessa threw up her knife in a block she expected to fail. The blow that landed against it felt like a meteor strike and slid off the side to lay open her forearm, but the knife blunted and deflected it better than she had expected.

_No wonder Matthew carries around daggers that are so long,_ she thought giddily as she jumped back, her head swimming. _He gets in fights like these all the time. _She took inventory of the damage done to her left arm: it dripped red on the floor and she could already tell that trying to use it for anything strenuous would be a terrible idea.

That didn't stop the mercenary from starting another swing. Rebecca's second arrow slowed him down some – getting shot in the leg could _not _be pleasant – but he advanced regardless. Adelessa had to stand her ground – there was nowhere else she could retreat, not with Rebecca fumbling behind her. She ignored the hazy tendrils of darkness at the farthest corners of her vision and focused on his approach.

She noticed it then, as clear as day: he favored his right side where she'd hit him once before. If she could strike that before he could hit her, Adelessa would be able to beat him. It was as obvious to her as if someone had pointed it out. She knew how to end this fight.

Her legs were shaking, but she forced them to still. She flexed her fingers around her knife. She sank down into her fighting stance. As soon as he'd taken his next step, Adelessa lunged. Her strike lacked any form of finesse, but her blade found its mark. It sank deep into his arm and bit through flesh; she could feel it tearing and felt like heaving for a brief instant. When he reared back to strike her, she saw the opening he left. A second lunge let her slide the knife across his throat in a messy line.

A terrible gurgle accompanied the hot spray that followed. Adelessa felt his blood hit her face and staggered to the wall. She heaved, heaved, _heaved_until her entire body ached with the horror that she'd ended another life. As she came back to herself, she became aware of a hand rubbing soothing circles on her back. Rebecca stood next to her, concern clear on her face even in the darkness of the hall. "Aydie?"

"I'm done now, I think," she replied shakily. A couple of shuddering breaths were necessary before she could bring herself to stand upright. Seeing the body sprawled on the floor in a dark, shiny pool made her pulse roar in her ears. Rebecca wrapped an arm around her waist and threw Adelessa's right arm over her shoulders before the tactician had fully started to sway.

"Come on – it's not much farther," Rebecca encouraged her. Adelessa made a vague noise of agreement and shakily took a step. "There you go – just take it easy with me." She limped her way along with Rebecca's assistance.

The sudden light of the audience hall made her squint when they finally stepped into it. She could see several people crowded around a table, forming a plan of some sort. "My lords? Could I get some help here? And maybe a healer?" At Rebecca's last question, the figures by the table jolted to look.

"What – Elimine bless, _Aydie!_"

Adelessa twiddled her fingers at them from Rebecca's shoulder. She straightened with some difficulty, breathing deeply and evenly to try to stop her vision from tunneling. When it cleared, she saw Eliwood and Hector coming to a stop by her with Matthew skulking right behind them. Priscilla was lifting up her arm to inspect the wound there. "There are men in the castle," she informed them.

"No shit, you think?" Hector's worried comment made her laugh. When it made her feel dizzy again, she stopped. "Please tell me this isn't all hers."

"No – most of it is from the man who attacked us," Rebecca replied. _How far away did she go? She sounds like she's across the room_. "I think he only caught her on the arm."

"Thank goodness." Eliwood's voice sounded even further away. Adelessa realized her eyes were closed and opened them up again. No, they were all still standing right nearby. How terribly strange.

Warm hands cupped either side of her face. "Aydie. Aydie, look at me." Matthew's face was suddenly right in front of hers. It made her blink. "What happened?"

"He ran into us – I had to stop him otherwise he'd hurt Rebecca." Her voice sounded funny to her own ears. A pale blue light made her look left. Priscilla was holding a staff and it glowed, sending pinpricks all along her skin. "I got him, but-" Remembering what happened made her shudder. "I did what you taught me. He's down and oh spirits that's a _lot_ of blood." She hadn't taken a good look at herself yet and she instantly regretted looking down. Her shirt was soaked with blood and she could see glistening tissue inside of her arm. Bright red pulsed out of the wound. "Matthew, do you know how long it takes to get blood out of yellow?" Her voice was getting drowned out by a roaring in her ears, but she couldn't manage to speak up any. "It takes _forever_." She saw his lips moving but couldn't hear what he was saying. The last things she saw were his eyes widen before black swam over her vision. The uncomfortable prickling in her arm faded away.

It took her a long time to recognize what way was up. Dizziness swept through her from head to toe, making her feel as if she was spinning around and around. Once the world stopped reeling around her, she realized she was on her back. There was a gentle, calloused hand patting her cheek. "Aydie?" She knew that voice. It made her heart do strange things. "Aydie, are you waking up?"

Opening her eyes took more effort than it should have. "Bluh?" She squinted and slowly the blur above her coalesced into Matthew's relieved face. She could see the ceiling past him.

"Good." The relief in his voice was obvious. She could practically feel herself waking up all the way, synapses firing and bringing her thoughts into crisp clarity. "Here, I'm going to help you sit up and drink something." He hooked an arm around her shoulders and eased her up. Her head was less fuzzy than it had been before-

"I fainted," she said. She was so surprised that she couldn't quite manage to vocalize it.

"Like anyone who's silly enough to walk around and panic after getting injured and bleeding on the floor," Matthew told her. Underneath his normal cheerful tone was genuine concern. "Drink this."

It was bitter, vile, and lukewarm. Adelessa coughed with the first gulp, but it cured her dizziness. By the time she finished the cup that Matthew held, she felt less wobbly and far more like her normal self. Her head was clear and looking down at the mess she'd made of her shirt no longer threatened to start her gibbering.

"That was absolutely terrible. Serra made it, didn't she?" Matthew's laugh was all the answer she needed.

"It works, though," he said. "You're looking less pale and seem back to your normal self. How do you feel?"

Adelessa took a moment to catalogue her aches and pains. Her arm was dull with pain that she imagined would explode into much worse should she move it from the sling in which it rested. She snuck a look at it and frowned when she saw the bandages. Apparently Priscilla hadn't been able to heal her. "My arm feels like it doesn't want to move," she answered, "but other than that I don't feel too bad."

"Yeah, you'll want to take it easy on your arm. We're going to have to have someone come in and sew it up later, but it'll keep for now." Adelessa pulled a face and reached to adjust the strap – someone's sleeve, it looked like – to keep it from rubbing her neck raw with the chain of her necklace. "Do you wear that thing when you sleep?"

"Of course I do." The words jumped out of her mouth before she had the chance to filter them. She looked at Matthew, just as startled as he was. Her fingers came away with flakes of dried blood on them and she wiped them off, trying not to look at him. "It's really important," she said lamely.

"I guess so." He gave it another pondering look and Adelessa had to fight the urge to hide it in her hands. Now that she thought about it, she felt a lot more exposed than she normally did. She wasn't wearing her over-tunic, her hair was pulled back, and she didn't have anything with which to deflect his attention. It was thrilling and frightening all at once, made worse by her cheeks betraying her with a blush.

She was properly appalled with herself when she remembered what put her in that state in the first place. "How long was I out? What's going on?"

"You were only unconscious for a few minutes," Eliwood answered. He came over and kneeled down; Adelessa realized she was sitting on the ground. "We're still under siege."

"Well." Adelessa tried to stand up. Both Eliwood and Matthew had to help her get to her feet. Even with the good the herbal drink had done her, Adelessa's head spun for a minute while she stood. It slowed to a lazy tilting after a few deep breaths and she had them help her hobble to a bench. She sat down there and absently wiggled the fingers on her bad hand. "I'm glad I set up a rotation of watches last night. Is everyone present?"

"We are." Hector settled into a chair across from her. "In your absence, Eliwood and I ordered for the fighters to pair up around the entrances to this hall."

"Good," Adelessa said, nodding slowly. Even that made her head spin a bit and she stopped immediately. "That's good. Make sure that you take up posts yourself – you and Eliwood are good fighters and we'll likely need all hands on deck for this battle. The man I fought with on my way here was very skilled, had good equipment, and knew the techniques to move quietly. We're dealing with what seems to be a very impressive group of mercenaries."

"Mercenaries?" Eliwood looked thoughtful for a moment before he turned to Hector. "I remember something my father told me. There's a mercenary group that's remarkably loyal to House Laus." When Hector nodded in recognition, he turned back to Adelessa to explain. "It's been working with Lord Darin ever since he took up the title of marquess. Their leader is Eubans – he's called the Hurricane."

"Because he makes fast strikes, right?" When Eliwood nodded, she resisted the urge to cradle her head in her hands. _Of all the times to be slowed down by pain and blood loss, I had to pick this one! _"Well, we'll make this work. As long as we remain hunkered down here, we shouldn't have too much trouble. Serra, Priscilla, I'll want you to watch all the groups to see who needs healing. Rebecca, Erk, if you could also wander to provide support where you deem it necessary, that would also be good. Everyone else should just stay by their posts." The room was ornate and had several entrances. Luckily, she had enough people that she could cover each entrance with at least two people. "All that we can do for now is wait. Keep your eyes and ears open."

"Hear that?" Hector asked. Only then did she realize that she had been speaking more quietly than usual: there was no way that anyone could have heard her on the far end of the room. "We have to hold this room - if we can force them away, Ostian forces should be here to secure the castle just after dawn. We only need to last for a few hours! We won't lose the castle!"

Hector got several crisp nods in reply and the melee fighters took guard near their posts. Matthew patted her on the shoulder and told her to take it easy before he did the same, choosing to remain at the door where Hector set up camp. Eliwood joined Marcus at another and quietly consulted with the knight.

"Looks like you get to take it easy for once," Rebecca said cheerfully when she wandered over to where Adelessa was sitting. She smartly smoothed out where the strap of Adelessa's sling was twisted. "At least we don't have to run around this time."

"That's good," Adelessa admitted, "because I don't think I'm going to be running anywhere fast." Rebecca laughed at that. Adelessa smiled with her. "Shoo, Rebecca – you should get ready. I'm sure that the fight will-"

Speak of the devil; Hector let loose a war cry and the mighty clamor of his axe impacting against another weapon broke the tense peace in the room. The other two doorways exploded with action at the same moment. Eliwood's rapier flashed as he parried a swing; Marcus' lance came back from a strike covered in blood. Dorcas threw tomahawks at those who weren't stopped by those two. Guy and Lowen defended their doorway with alternating flurries of attacks. They backed away to let Oswin through to land a crippling blow on a more heavily armored opponent. Rebecca shot through gaps made for her by her lord and his knight. Erk threw fireballs at those who faced Hector and Matthew. Priscilla and Serra healed wounds before they had a chance to slow down the fighters, accompanied by Bartre as a guard.

For all that they were under siege and it had been an attempted surprise attack, Adelessa thought they were doing quite well.

_Tap, tap, tap._It was quiet, almost hidden under the sounds of combat. Adelessa turned her head this way and that, trying to locate where the noise was coming from. It had to be close by if she could hear it over all of this racket. Standing carefully, she followed the wall away from the doors to where the noise was the loudest. When she put her hand on the stone, she could feel it shaking in time to the taps.

"Oswin!" she yelled. "They're breaking through the wall – I need you over here!" The knight acknowledged her command with a sharp bob of his lance – when in full armor with his helmet on, it was impossible to read motions any more subtle than that – and lumbered over to her.

The stones screeched their protest as they were forced out of their normal positions. They tumbled to the ground in a terrible clatter. One clipped Adelessa's bad arm while she was turning to face the hole in the wall and gray reacquainted itself with her vision. A strong hand gently forced her back and she staggered on legs that didn't quite want to work. She managed to hold herself upright despite that and saw Oswin fending off several mercenaries as they tried to pour out of the new opening.

Adelessa drew her knife – she might not be able to fight well at _all_, but if Matthew had taught her anything it was that you _never _go unarmed – and faced the man that had managed to squeeze past Oswin. Her balance was all off; with her left arm in the sling, she couldn't use it properly. There was an odd feeling in her head that warned her that, were she to move too strenuously, it would spin in dizzy circles. An unpleasant warm and wet feeling soaked her left arm; she ignored it. Calm desperation settled around her. For the second time that night, Adelessa realized that she'd have to fight against a person with greater reach and skill than she possessed-

Only to watch him burn to a crisp. She spared a glance over her shoulder and saw Erk gazing pointedly back at her. He didn't have to speak for her to know what he was saying: _If I don't look out for you, Lord Pent will never forgive me. _Adelessa gave him a smile of pure relief and gratitude.

"They're retreating!" Hector almost sounded disappointed.

"Over here, as well." She could hear hints of reproval in Marcus' voice, directed in Hector's direction. Just imagining the look that Hector received for his comment made her chuckle.

By all appearances, that was the last push from the mercenaries. Adelessa leaned forward to look into the hole they'd formed. _Sure enough – there's no sign of them._It was with little surprise that she realized her knees were buckling; sagging against the wall, she peered down at her arm in its sling. Like she had thought, the bandages were stained with fresh blood.

"This has been an unpleasant night," she announced to whomever in the group might be listening to her at the moment, "and I think it's about time that we're done with it." She had to finish this off properly. "They've lost the element of surprise. Unless they have a very impressive trick left for us, the commander should be calling for their retreat.

"I want watches through the rest of the morning," Adelessa added as she slid down the wall; it wasn't worth fighting gravity anymore, not with legs wobbly with post-combat shakes. Rebecca and Matthew came over to help steady her; she leaned heavily on them. "When the Ostian troops arrive, have them speak with Hector, Eliwood, and possibly myself, should I be needed." Her head felt like it was separated from the rest of her and wanted to loll on her neck. "If you'll pardon me, I think I'm going to be unconscious for a while now."

"Rest easy, Aydie," she heard Matthew say as her eyes closed of their own volition. "You did just fine tonight. Good job."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Worth warning you - as Aydie gets more involved with fights (and I get better at writing them, haha) there may be a bit more graphic description of what happens. Thought I should mention that. And the fact that the mood may/will change for the darker as the plot thickens, but some of you may have been expecting that? Anywho.

If you haven't seen it yet! I added a new "fic" that will contain world-building stuff such as cultural things, academic diatribes on game mechanics, that sort of thing. Leave a review on that fic if you'd like me to answer a question that you have! I'll try to avoid spoilers or let you know if it would contain spoilers. :3

Thanks to my lovely reviewers being so quick on the uptake! **patattack, Tom-Ato13, Drachegirl14, Sieben Nightwing, MilleniaMaster, angelbeets,** and **Solyeuse** - you all helped inspire me to get this chapter finished so quickly! To my beta - you're fantastic, you helped a bunch on this chapter, you are amazing, and I couldn't do this half as well without you. All of you - betas, reviewers, watchers, and just plain readers - I appreciate you and your support so much. You guys rock!


	23. Noble Lady of Caelin

Noble Lady of Caelin

Five days passed in a frantic blur of briefings, orders, appointments, meetings, and wonderful, blessed sleep. When she had been injured during her campaign with Lyn, she hadn't had the luxury to rest and relax while recovering from her wound. They had always been on the road, frantically pushing to make it to Caelin on time. Lounging around in Castle Laus allowed time for her to heal.

_That _translated into her spending at least a good eight marks sleeping at night and yet more time during the day taking naps ranging anywhere from fifteen minutes to a whole mark. It had become a joke to lighten the mood: "Look, we've a half-mark break before the next meeting. There goes Aydie, off to dreamland!" Even Adelessa admitted that the amount time she spent sleeping was bordering on ridiculous, but as long as the healers said that it was a good thing she wasn't going to fret over it.

The morning after the attack on Castle Laus an Ostian healer had tended to her arm. His attempts to mend the wound with pressure and a healing staff ended with Adelessa pitching face-first onto the table from pain and a stubborn wound that still refused to close. Declaring frustration, he instead set to the less arcane method of stitches, a vulnerary, and bandages. She didn't miss the wary look he gave Priscilla and Serra; she pretended not to see it and neither of them brought it up. Hopefully they would handle the whole doesn't-heal-with-staff-magic thing between themselves and anyone who wanted to ask. No one brought it up. That evening she ate dinner, dragged herself to her room, and fell asleep fully clothed.

The next day was dedicated to catching her up to speed. Hector and Matthew informed her of the current status of the castle's defenses, news brought by network spies, and orders that had been given to the new arrivals. She added to that the request that their group go out and scout for any sign of where Marquess Laus may have fled. She fell asleep on the lunch table during the middle of the meal. She had another appointment with the Ostian healer in the afternoon to check on her arm. Satisfied that it was healing well, he slathered a sharp-smelling balm over the wound and sent her on her way.

It had been the first time she was alone, alert, and without any demands on her time since the siege. Her mind had decided that it would be a good time to bring up the thought that she had earned her first kill the night before. Rebecca found her crying and on the edge of hysterics and dragged her to Serra. The cleric was surprisingly understanding and kind. Adelessa thanked whomever had granted her this group of people.

She fell asleep immediately after dinner and didn't wake until breakfast the next morning. That day traveled much the same as the last with naps sprinkled between the demands on her time. It was with complete bafflement that she stared at Matthew when he stopped by her room after dinner. He dragged her off with his wicked cheer and sat her down to discuss strategies to use against opponents with better reach and more strength when fighting against them. She only absorbed about half of the lesson. Matthew had to help her stagger back to her room. She fell asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

And so the next several days passed. Perhaps it was the strange warping of time from sleeping so much or just the crazy pace that filled her waking moments, but she had no real recognition of the passing time. This came into sharp relief during an afternoon tactical meeting with Eliwood and Hector.

"Have we found any leads as to where Marquess Laus has fled?" she asked them. She was alert and thankfully not drowsy. Struggling with sleepiness was not helpful when trying to catch up with the goings-on around the castle.

"Not a one," Eliwood replied, his voice glum. "We scoured the countryside for the first couple of days – we had Rebecca lead the foot teams and Marcus the mounted ones – but the rain must have washed away their tracks. We've spread the patrols out but we've still yet to see any sign."

"Blast it!" Hector kicked a chair and sent it skidding across the floor. Glowering out the window, the blue-haired lord simmered with frustration. "Where could that snake have gone? Surely no one in Lycia would give him quarter!"

"There may have been others beside Santaruz who agreed with his talk of rebellion," Adelessa ventured. She and Hector both agreed, after talking about it without Eliwood present, that the likelihood of Lord Elbert having actually signed up for rebellion was unlikely. Both thought that it was terribly out of character for the gentle marquess. She realized just how much time had passed. "For all that – Eliwood, Hector, it's been five days. Remarkable things have happened over the past fortnight – the death of Marquess Santaruz and our attack here the largest of them – and yet there's been nothing but this _policing _force sent to watch over the castle while stewards get it in order. Isn't Lord Uther going to take action on these matters? He should have acted already!"

Hector shook his head, though he looked no less troubled than Adelessa felt at this strange silence from the leader of the country. "I'm sure," he replied finally, "that he has his reasons. My brother mentioned that he had several other things on his plate that need more attention."

"What?" _Something more important than a rebellion and coup?_

"Surely you can't be serious," Eliwood ventured.

"Serious as a shaman's spell," Hector replied. When he turned back to face them, his mouth was a grim slash. "He made sure to plant new spies across the other countries when he first stepped up as marquess. They've just started getting back to him with news – none of it good. Even other nations have noticed how Bern's been acting lately. To be more accurate," he corrected, "King Desmond is behaving strangely. Aggressively. Popular opinion has it that he'll launch an attack if he sees even the slightest sign of weakness. A rebellion on top of having a marquess who's only been at the head of the country for a few years… it would be an irresistible target. Uther can't afford to let see any of the other nations see this problem."

"And moving a small army to Laus to squash a rebellion would be like having every magic-user from the Church cast a light spell at once. There would be no way he would miss it," Adelessa murmured. It was a distressing situation. _A police force might even be pushing it, when put into those terms. _"Keeping a façade of stability and strength is of paramount importance, then."

"It is." Hector leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "Every country has spies working in Ostia right now. All the rulers want to know about the new marquess' temperament and intelligence, see how he handles situations. The instant something seems off – that's it. The world will know about it whether we want it to or not. Before we left, Matthew was working with our counter-intelligence people to try to keep them in the dark. I don't think my brother's quite forgiven me for that yet, but he's more useful here." He smiled, a fierce flash of teeth.

Adelessa tilted her head, mildly surprised by that declaration. "How so?"

"Surely you've noticed," he replied. "He's good at gathering information. He knows what's important – he's fed you information in combat, exactly what you needed to best handle the current situation. Matthew is one of the best spies we have."

_Well, when he puts it like that…. _Now that she thought to contemplate it, Adelessa realized just how true that was. Matthew was always lurking somewhere at the corners of her vision during combat. More often than not he had a critical bit of information to bring to her attention; she'd unwittingly trained herself to listen for his voice and plan around what he said when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder during a battle. His eyes constantly roved around and looked for items of interest, even while he was occupied with another task. He'd even taken the initiative to carry out orders she hadn't yet given, as in the case with disposing of the mages in the final battle in Caelin. It was a bit disconcerting that she hadn't realized just how much he did.

The face she made at that revelation must have been particularly amusing; Hector gave a rolling chuckle. "Like I said, he's good at what he does. There's no one else I'd trust more to watch my back and manage intelligence. You two are a frightening team, you know that?"

While Adelessa took a moment to mull that bit of information over, Eliwood asked, "Hector, shouldn't you be in Ostia? You're the marquess' brother – wouldn't your absence be seen as something wrong?"

"Nah," he replied dismissively, waving a large hand in emphasis. "The marquess' brother is known to be a lout. If he _was _at court, they'd know that Uther was keeping me there for a reason." There was an odd note in the timbre of his voice.

Eliwood caught on to it before Adelessa did. "You're not particularly proud of that reputation, are you?"

Hector's head gave one jerky shake. "Not at all."

A moment of quiet stretched between them. Adelessa glanced down at the shaded areas on the map, marking ground the patrols had covered. It was useless to continue this; she might as well call them in- "Lord Eliwood! Lord Hector! Aydie!" Marcus burst into the room, unusually disheveled and looking as if he rushed here from a hard ride.

Adelessa stood with Eliwood, latching her eyes on the knight. "Marcus, what is it? Have you found something?"

"Yes – well, not exactly, but we've news. A messenger just rode in from the east." The expression on his face made her stomach tighten with dread. She knew that this couldn't end well. "Castle Caelin has fallen to a surprise attack launched by Marquess Laus!"

Adelessa fell back into her seat, stunned. "Castle Caelin?" she breathed, horrified. _Lyn!_

"He's struck again," Hector groaned. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

Leaning forward, Adelessa fixed Marcus with a stare. She could hear the bare worry in her own voice. "Is there any news of the members of House Caelin?"

"No." Marcus looked almost apologetic. "We've received no word of either Lord Hausen or his granddaughter Lyndis. The messenger who found us only stayed long enough to see the attack."

"I never…." Eliwood rested a comforting hand on Adelessa's shoulder when her voice trailed off. This was _terrible_ – she had never dreamed that this would spread to Caelin, even though they were less than a day's hard ride away. _How naïve!_ she scolded herself. _Of course you should have expected this. A wound is no excuse for stupidity, Adelessa! _"I should have sent out messengers to warn them about this!"

"What should we do?" Marcus' question was directed to Eliwood, but it was Hector who answered.

"They might still be alive - there's only one thing _to _do!"

Eliwood nodded his agreement. "Gather everyone - tell them to prepare for fast travel to Caelin." He turned to Adelessa, studying her for a moment. "Can you ride?" Eliwood's eyes bored into hers.

"If I have to make someone tie me to my horse, I will," Adelessa replied. She patted the small pouch on her hip. "I have my smelling salts and herbs here." While she hadn't fainted since the healer's first try at mending her wound, he'd refused to let her wander around without smelling salts in case it should happen again. The herbs were for her to mix in with water as either a tea or a straight drink: the resulting mixture would ward off light-headedness and make her more alert. There was no way that she'd miss a rescue, not when they'd need her help as tactician.

With only the slightest moment of hesitation, Eliwood nodded. "Then we'd best ride now," he said. "I'll gather the others. Adelessa, Hector, go and prepare mounts for everyone." Adelessa dipped in a bow out of reflex and gathered her effects from the table at which she had been sitting. She passed several people in the hall – Rebecca, Erk, Serra – and informed them of the attack on Castle Caelin as quickly as she could.

In less than half a mark the group was on the road. Each person had their own mount: it was necessary for them to be able to move as fast as possible. Adelessa found that the hard ride was not nearly as distressing as she had feared it might be; her arm ached only with a dull throb and her bandages were clean. Others, less accustomed to spending time on horseback, seemed to be faring worse.

For all that, the group's frantic flight took less time than she would have imagined. It was only midday by the time that they crested the last hill and Castle Caelin rose into view. Adelessa, reeling from the speed of the ride, took out her spyglass. It wasn't a pretty sight: there were obvious signs of strife in the farmland around the castle and she could see at least one column of smoke that looked suspiciously out of place. The green and yellow flags had been dragged down from the towers to be replaced by the plum-and-gold of Laus. There were plenty of soldiers wearing that same armor, but no members of Caelin's army could be seen. It was an unsettling discovery and Adelessa had to lower her spyglass for a moment. _Those people were my friends, _she thought, her fingers tightening on the brass tube for a moment.

"What are we up against?" Hector asked, squinting in an attempt to make out the situation.

Adelessa raised her spyglass again. "There are enemies scattered all throughout the area around the castle," she announced. "It seems like a varied mix: there are a lot more foot soldiers than Erik had under his command, but there are several mounted units as well. It looks as if the fastest way to get up there will be by following the paths that will allow us to ascend along the cliffs to the west of the castle. There seems to be some sort of fight to the southeast, but I can't make it out. It's too far away." She had started to put down the spyglass again when further movement made her snap it back up to her eye. "The enemy archers are advancing," she added. "Why – what could they be aiming at?"

"Look!" Matthew pointed up into the sky; Adelessa lowered the spyglass and tracked the motion. A gray speck was becoming rapidly larger as it fell toward them. _No, not falling – flying! _"There's a pegasus knight up there!"

"Lord Eliwood! Aydie!" Adelessa knew that voice. She could just make out Florina's light violet hair as the younger girl waved her arm.

"Florina?" Adelessa yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Florina, fly lower!"

"Lady Lyndis-" Apparently Florina hadn't heard her. Adelessa gave it another shot.

"Florina – fly lower! There are archers!"

"What?" Anything further that Florina might have said was cut off when she yelped and ducked close to her pegasus' neck. Adelessa saw the first of several arrows just barely miss them and found that her hand was clasped over her mouth with horror. The pegasus twisted to avoid the last volley, but Florina must not have been expecting the sudden jerk. The girl let out a scream and topped out of the saddle – _N__o, no no no that's why you have those straps! _There was no time to react; the only person that could move was Hector and he was only able to dismount before the slight pegasus knight crashed into him from above.

She swung off of Rhea's back and rushed over to where Serra, Priscilla, and Eliwood had already converged on the two. The pale blue glow of the healing staves and Florina's even breathing reassured her; Hector's grumbled curses wiped away any last concerns. The pegasus landed heavily nearby and shuffled over to nose at Florina's face. "Florina?" Adelessa's hesitant, gentle call made the girl's eyelids flicker. _That's a good sign. _"Florina, can you hear me?"

"Aydie?" Dazed blue-green eyes blinked open and found Adelessa's. Florina smiled sweetly at her. "What happened?" Adelessa helped her up, gently supporting her back with her good arm.

"Enemy archers almost hit you," she explained. "Your pegasus is uninjured – he's right over there. You avoided the arrows, but you – you lost your balance and fell." Adelessa could feel the prickle of her skin rising up in horror at the thought of plummeting like that. _And this is why I don't fly,_ she thought vehemently. _There are far too many ways that things could go wrong and I could _fall. The thought nearly provoked a shudder.

"Oh. I'm sorry." The haze was nearly gone from her eyes and apology replaced it. "I didn't mean to be such trouble."

"As much fun as it is to listen to you two bond," Hector grunted, "could you do it when the girl isn't _sitting on me?_" Never in her life had Adelessa seen someone move so quickly as Florina did then. She practically levitated – Adelessa didn't think she saw the girl touch the ground more than once – in her haste to get away from the lord. He sat up, rubbing his now-dented chest plate and glowering in the general direction of the archers. "Of _course _she would land on me. You couldn't have aimed for a bale of hay?"

"All that matters is that you're not hurt," Eliwood said to distract her from the other lord's grumbling complaints. Adelessa found herself touched, albeit exasperated with Hector: she had seen how he'd reached to catch Florina. While she was still visibly startled, he drew her attention from Hector's muttered curses and attempts to stand. "Florina, aren't you serving under Lyndis? Shouldn't you be with her?"

"I was," Florina replied, "but she sent me out to see if I could gather any aid. Lady Lyndis is beyond the forest to the southeast." The pegasus knight pointed in that direction. Adelessa recognized it as the same direction of the movement she'd been unable to discern earlier. "Kent, Sain, and Wil are with her. She's waiting for a chance to launch an assault to take back the castle."

"She's _what?_" Adelessa and Eliwood had the same reaction to that bit of news. Adelessa floundered for something to say in response. Eliwood had more luck. "Well," he said, voice blank with surprise, "at least she's safe and well."

"She's just fine," Florina assured them. "But… Lord Hausen was captured. He's being held in the castle."

"Then there's no time to waste – these people will gladly kill any who don't agree with their murderous agenda." Adelessa felt her mouth draw into a grim frown. "Florina, they'll be coming to see if they were successful in downing you. That means we're going to have company soon. I'd rather avoid an outright fight until we rendezvous with Lady Lyndis, but I doubt we'll be that lucky. Florina, if you could, I would appreciate it if you could lead us toward them. I don't want you flying," she added, "at least, not until we've taken out all of their archers. You've had one close call already today. I'd rather not have to watch you take a fall like that again anytime soon. Can you do that?"

"Certainly," Florina replied with a sharp nod. "You know what you're doing, Aydie - I'll follow your lead. Or, well, lead you, I guess?" When Adelessa nodded, the petite girl brightened and swung up into the saddle of her pegasus. "Follow me, please - I'll lead you to Lady Lyndis."

With that, the group moved out. Those who weren't trained in mounted combat followed Hector's lead and dismounted. Even Adelessa caved and slid off of Rhea's back, if only because she didn't want the embarrassment of Hector dragging her off of her horse again. She did some rough calculations in her head. If Lyn truly did intend to launch a counterattack against Lord Darin, she would have to approach the castle from the same way Adelessa had planned theirs. There was no telling where Lyn's group would emerge from the woods to the east, but she was willing to bet that they would take advantage of the cover granted by the trees to advance as close as possible without being spotted by Laus soldiers. That wouldn't interfere with trying to meet up with them, luckily: they were skirting along the cliffs anyway.

A few moments passed in silent, tense anticipation. The entire group knew that it was only a matter of time before they ran into enemy soldiers. What had Hector and Bartre spoiling for a fight, however, was the fact that the enemy didn't know that they were there. Adelessa intended to use that advantage to its full potential. If they could levy successful ambushes against enemy troops, it would only help them on their trek to the castle.

Rebecca, scouting forward, reported a handful of Laus soldiers halfway to the pass. Adelessa had Erk, Lowen, and Marcus join her into driving them toward the main group. Only half of their opponents made it to the waiting trap; none remained after a few brutal strikes. There were no survivors and it only took a minute. Adelessa realized that, every once in a while, her plans actually went off without a hitch. She marveled over that fact until Matthew hailed her with the news that another group had been spotted. The same trap yielded the same results.

It was the third clump of enemies that brought complications. A horseman had been nearby and escaped suffering the same fate as his comrades. "They'll know we're here now," Adelessa warned Eliwood and Hector. "I'm sure he retreated to inform his commander of this."

"Fine," Hector said. "Let them. We're almost to the path - they would have spotted us soon regardless." She had to give him that. No one ever said she had to like it, though. Adelessa would just have to make doubly sure that her tactics were sound. She was about ready to order Florina up into the air – she felt pretty confident in sending her up after killing off several archers in the three ambushes they'd executed – when she heard a familiar voice.

"Florina!" Adelessa turned to see Lyn emerging from the woods behind her. It was a pleasant surprise for her to see that the Sacaean was wearing her traditional clothing instead of the court dress that Lycians favored. "You found help! I was so worried - it was so dangerous-" Lyn cut herself off.

"Lyn – I mean, Lady Lyndis, Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector, and Aydie are here to offer us their aid."

Lyn's complete surprise was chased away by a smile once the initial shock wore off. Adelessa laughed and offered her a hug when the young woman ran over. Lyn sent her staggering back a few steps and squeezed her tightly in the embrace. "What a time to see you again!" Lyn exclaimed, letting her go and holding her at arm's length. "You always manage to turn up at _just _the right times, Aydie." The smile she got was absolutely stunning; Adelessa had a feeling that the one she was returning was just as bright.

"You know me – always riding on the edge of disaster." Lyn laughed at that and let her go fully. She moved on to greet and thank Eliwood and Hector both, gratefulness in every word she said to them. _It's a good thing we were able to ride out when we did. If we had been any later, I don't know that this reunion would have been so happy._

"Aydie! Why, you're as majestic as the Bernese mountains. The time you spent away from me has only made you all the more dazzling. The moon and stars cry no contest, for the see that they can't hope to match your ethereal splendor! Why, my heart aches – nay, _cries_, that we've been apart for so long. This reunion is just too joyous – I don't know that I can bear it!"

Adelessa was grinning before he was even through with his speech. "Hello, Sain," she said.

When she turned to face him, the knight's hand flew to his forehead and he swooned. His knees buckled and his breath whooshed out of him with a love-struck sigh. "Oh, that my eyes are only mortal! This loveliness – can I bear it?" One eye peeked open and Sain grinned. "Great and glorious day, I can!" He swept forward, clasped her hand, and planted a kiss on the back of it. All the while, Adelessa tried to stifle her giggles. "Fair lady, it is indeed good to see you in this time of strife!"

"Sain, will you never stop? I apologize, Aydie." Kent followed shortly behind his partner, grabbed him by the back of his armor, and hauled him away. He ignored Sain's complaints. "It _is _good to see you again, however."

"Oh, come on - it's funny to watch Sain make a fool of himself in front of every female we find," Wil protested. He snuck Adelessa a wink. "Hey there, Ayde."

"It's good to see both of you, too." Adelessa thought that she must look dumb, smiling so warmly and widely like this. She couldn't help it - she had grown so close to these people and had hardly been able to visit Caelin over the past year. Realizing how much she missed Sain's flowery flirting, Kent's somber and calm demeanor, and Wil's bright sense of humor was a bit of a shock. A pang of terrible happiness ran through her when she realized just _how much_ she liked these people. Having most of Lyndis' Legion following her orders again was a wonderful feeling, nostalgic and heartening and exhilarating: here are people she _knows_ and know _her_.

Adelessa felt like she could take on the world with this group.

"Lyn, you intended to take back your castle?" she asked once it seemed like she had finished greeting those in Hector and Eliwood's group and checking that Florina was uninjured. When the young noblewoman replied with a nod, Adelessa waved everyone in to listen to her. "The path up to the castle is wider than I had remembered," she started, "but it's still not as wide as I'd like it to be. Our group will have to string itself out in order to travel along it. I want mounted units in the front. Kent, Sain, if you haven't met Marcus and Lowen, I'd suggest you introduce yourselves shortly. I want you four to stay together during our approach toward the castle. After them, I want Hector and Oswin. You have heavy armor and can help blunt any attacks leveled at us. Behind them, I want my usual fighters: Eliwood, Dorcas, Guy. Lyn, you should join them. Ranged, lightly armored, or support units, I want you in the back. Erk, Rebecca, and Wil, provide support fire for the front-line fighters, but don't go past them. Bartre, Matthew, I want you in the back in case there are any enemy units behind us."

"Where would you like me?" Florina asked. Adelessa noted that her voice had lost some of its hesitance that it had held from the year before. Working as a knight of Caelin seemed to have done her some good.

"Kent," she asked, "does Caelin have a ballista?"

He paused in talking quietly with Marcus to answer her. "No – Lord Hausen saw no need to keep siege engines in our armory, not after what happened with Lundgren."

"Good. Florina, I'd like you to take to the air. I want to know _immediately_if anything suspicious starts going on down on the ground. Tell me if you see reinforcements arriving, horsemen riding from the castle – anything. Stay on the ground if you see archers and tell me where they are – I'll take them out as quickly as possible so that you can get back up there." Florina nodded and urged her pegasus up into the sky. Adelessa wasted a second watching her rise up before she turned back to the group before her. "Any questions?" When no one spoke up in response, Adelessa clapped her hands together. "Then I believe there's precious little time to waste. There's a castle we have to take back, after all."

"You truly believe that we can do it?" Lyn asked.

"We know the castle better than they do," Adelessa replied firmly, "and I already know that all of you are far superior to anything that Lord Darin can throw at us. We're fighting to save Lord Hausen again – we've overcome worse before." She took a moment to look each person in the eye. "All of us here are veterans of castle offensives already. Those of you who weren't with me the first time we had to take Castle Caelin got to see that same action in Laus. There will be troops inside the castle, but it's nothing that we can't handle. The people who live in the castle," and she nodded to those four, "will be able to advise me on the best courses of action. In short, there's no reason that this can't succeed. We just have to be careful."

"Good to know," Eliwood replied. His words snapped everyone into action: they formed up into the formation Adelessa had laid out. Since Florina was still circling above them, there was no reason to amend her plan. When Kent looked back to ensure that it was time to leave, Adelessa nodded and pointed to the top of the cliffs. The knight slid on his helmet, swung up into his saddle, and started forward. The rest of the group began to follow him, a ripple of motion indicating each group that started.

"Thank you, Aydie, for all of this," Lyn said; she hadn't yet moved forward to take her place. She gently touched the shoulder of Adelessa's bad arm. "Take care."

"I will – I'm not the one who's going to be out front. I've got several people back here who will watch over me while you're busy." Lyn looked relieved at that. The Sacaean squeezed the tactician's shoulder and ran forward through the group to speak with Eliwood. Adelessa stayed behind with the support group: she would only be a liability when the fighting broke out.

It wasn't long before they reached the top of the path. Adelessa was only slightly surprised by the fact that no troops had laid in wait to ambush them along the path. The cliffs on this side of Castle Caelin were notorious for their narrow paths. Even if ordered, somehow Adelessa doubted that there would be many soldiers who would willingly fight on such a relatively small patch of land. Only when Hector passed the end of the path did a fight start.

Two horsemen careened from the side to crash into the four knights at the front of the group. Kent was thrown from the saddle thanks to a glancing blow from a lance. He was kicked to one side by flailing hooves. Sain roared his fury and retaliated by returning the favor. His lance came back bloody. Lowen fended off the other horseman.

Adelessa couldn't stop to see if Kent was alright: immediately after the horsemen came a mix of foot soldiers. Her fighters didn't even startle at the sight of their opponents. Instead, they responded with blows just as fierce as the ones levied at them. Eliwood was the very picture of finesse: his rapier jabbed, stabbed, and whirled in a frightful dance. Lyn was a teal blur; splashes of red followed in her wake. Hector was an unstoppable force. His axe crashed into enemies and sent them flying. Dorcas, Guy, and Oswin all followed behind the lords, catching those who had avoided the other three. Wil and Rebecca stood next to each other right in front of Adelessa. Arrows sprang from their bows in almost equal time. While not every shot found its target, those that missed managed to corral the enemy closer to the waiting weapons of the other fighters.

Then, to one side – a flash of fire lit up in a spurt of orange and yellow. Adelessa threw up her arm in front of her face, flinching away from the heat. Erk snapped out a command and the fireball dissipated into ashy embers. He raised his hand and flicked out his fingers. With another strange word, lightning leaped from the tips and reached for the mage across the way. The gleeful _CRACK_of thunder when it hit its target rattled Adelessa's bones.

She panicked for a moment: Matthew, Serra, and Priscilla had been right behind her and now _she couldn't see them_. It was only when she whirled to look for them that she spotted Serra's tell-tale pink hair. They were gathered around Kent; the pale blue glow of magic soothed her fright for the cavalier. If those two were tending to him, he'd be fine. Besides, Sain wouldn't have been just standing there watching if his partner wasn't doing well. Matthew, she was glad to see, was watching the area surrounding them. When he saw her looking, he sent her a wink.

Her eyes turned back to the main fight just in time to see Lowen dispose of the last swordsman. Quiet seized the group for a breath, a pause in which everyone checked to make sure that there were no more surprises waiting for them, before they relaxed. Adelessa went over to check on Kent. Her hands tingled when she got too close to the healing magic, but Serra was kind enough to move over so she could see. Aware and awake, Kent was levering himself up into a sitting position. A dimple the size of Adelessa's palm marred the armor on his back, just above his waist. "You're lucky you weren't run through," Sain informed his commander; it was only at this distance that Adelessa could see that his face was pale and ashy with fright.

Satisfied that Kent was safe in the healers' hands, she instead turned to look at the lords. She shouted a warning, pointing at an archer that must have just emerged from hiding. He was aiming at Lyn; Eliwood grabbed her and dragged her down to the ground. A white, feathery blur dove from the sky. Florina didn't even need to swipe with her javelin – the initial impact finished the archer. She landed calmly, unfazed by the death-defying drop she had just executed. Adelessa got the crawls just _thinking_about how close to the ground the pegasus had been when they pulled out of their dive. "All's clear from here to the castle," Florina announced, "except for a couple of guards at the portcullis. It looks like they've someone heavily armored there."

Adelessa made herself stop cringing over that unsettling aerial maneuver – it was scary just to _watch_someone pull something like that off – and get back to business. "Thank you, Florina. Chances are that it will be an elite knight of some sort." Hector drifted over to listen to her; Eliwood and Lyn had already been close enough that they could hear her just fine. "That's not a problem. In fact, it's good – he'll be stuck there, while we'll have all the room to maneuver that we want. As soon as everyone's ready, we'll cover this last stretch."

It only took a few moments more for Kent to be deemed fit to ride and fight again, though Serra scolded him for making her worry. He suffered through it with a perfectly blank, dutiful face. Sain wasn't as composed; Adelessa swore she heard sniggers from him more than once. _At least he isn't laughing outright,_she thought, fighting against the tug of her own smile. As soon as Kent signaled that he was ready to proceed, the company started forward again.

As soon as they were within sight of the entrance, Adelessa doubted the estimation she'd so quickly made of the man against whom they were facing. She stood next to the lords as they stared at the man who blocked their passage into the castle. By the sigils on his armor, she could tell his rank. "Commander," Eliwood called out, "I request you withdraw from Castle Caelin and cease hostilities at once."

"I am loyal to Laus and its marquess," he answered, his lance thudding into the wood before the door to punctuate his sentence. "I will bow to no one else. Lord Darin commanded for me to hold this door: I will not let you pass, nor will I withdraw."

_It was at least worth a try,_Adelessa thought, dejected but not surprised. One didn't get to the rank of commander by being disloyal or a coward, after all. Eliwood's sympathetic glance over at her told her he understood. Lyn's expression of pure determination and Hector's of fierce excitement told her that neither begrudged her. "Go ahead," she allowed, holding back a sigh. There was nothing she could do here. One man against as many people as she had was no fight at all, but he insisted on staying right where he was.

They had to get through that door.

It was hard to watch the fight. The three lords – supported at range by the archers and magic-users – made short work of the commander. It chilled Adelessa for a moment; here laid a man who commanded the troops and was responsible for directing the battle. The only difference between them was that he had armor and she was on the winning side. _The tactician is always in danger,_ she remembered. It was from a lesson given at the university. _Never believe that you are safe, not even if you have a dozen lines of troops before you. The enemy will always try to eliminate the person who's in charge if they're worth their salt._She shoved down the urge to shiver and instead looked at the lords.

"Lyndis," Eliwood was saying, "once we've routed the rest of our foes, the castle will be yours again. Hector and I had no intention of keeping it after we cleared it out." He spoke for Hector, Adelessa saw, because the blue-haired lord was off conversing with Matthew, Oswin, and Marcus.

"Thank you, Eliwood – and you too, Aydie," she added when she saw that Adelessa had started to pay attention to the conversation. "If you hadn't come when you did – well, I don't know where I'd be right now! Not in the doorway of the castle, that's certain." She looked up at the huge doors: it was a grand entryway and Adelessa felt properly humbled in comparison to the size.

"Of course we'd help you," Adelessa replied. Her green eyes met Lyn's. "It's our fault, in a way. If we hadn't chased Lord Darin out of Laus, he wouldn't have come here or launched such an assault."

Lyn shook her head. "That's not true – you never forced him to wage war." It was a frank statement and one that took Adelessa aback for a moment. "Eliwood, you're looking for your father. Darin certainly had something to do with his disappearance and he set up what happened in Laus. I would have done the same in your position – if you remember, I _did_something very similar back a year ago to save my grandfather." Lyn fixed both of them with a level look in turn. "What happened here is not your fault."

"Thank you," Eliwood said after a long moment. He sounded just as relieved as Adelessa felt. "Nevertheless, until your castle is cleared of these men, I cannot absolve myself of this responsibility."

"That's fair," Lyn told him. "Just don't let it hang over your head – I don't blame you."

"Hey, Eliwood!" _And with all the subtlety of a runaway cart._"We're about ready to get moving into the castle!"

Lyn studied Hector for a moment before looking back to Eliwood. "Who's he?" Her voice was full of curiosity.

"Oh – pardon me. I forgot to introduce you." He waved Hector over; the lord stood next to Adelessa. "Hector, this is Lyndis, Lord Hausen's granddaughter. She's worked with Aydie before. Lyndis, this is Hector. He's Lord Uther's younger brother and a good friend of mine. He volunteered to help me search for my father." Hector's snort nearly made Adelessa laugh as well; Hector hadn't just _volunteered_, he'd _insisted_Eliwood take him along!

"The marquess' brother?"

"I know, there's no family resemblance at _all_," Hector drawled. He grimaced right back at Lyn when she frowned thoughtfully at him.

She turned sharply to Eliwood and Adelessa. "I was watching the way he fights," she started thoughtfully, almost as if she wasn't meaning to speak out loud. "He's not like you, Eliwood – he doesn't fight with finesse or technique. He's like my knights, but not quite. He relies so much on power." It was something that Adelessa herself had noticed ever since he joined; Oswin and Marcus had a lot more to say about Hector's technique when practicing with him than they did Eliwood's. "It's like he's never been-"

"Taught?" Hector finished the sentence for her. "That's because I haven't. I taught myself."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Lyn responded, her voice heated, "but how you swing that axe around – it's dangerous! You nearly hit your own knight during battle. You're a threat to your allies."

Hector's eyes narrowed dangerously; she must have struck a nerve. "What did you say?"

Adelessa's experiences with angry lords screamed for her to mediate the solution and calm it down _immediately_. "Lyn, perhaps that was a bit overly critical?" she hinted, trying desperately not to cringe. Hector could very easily take that terribly personal – if he hadn't already – and decide he didn't want to stand for such abuse.

Lyn blinked and, surprisingly, turned a bright shade of red. "I'm terribly sorry, Hector. I didn't mean that the way I said it – at least, not in such a rude manner. My apologies."

When Hector remained very still and silent, Adelessa piped up with, "Hector's manner of fighting may seem dangerous, Lyn, but he's really quite good."

"I agree," Eliwood added. "There's no one I would trust more in a fight. While it may look like he's being careless, he makes sure to remain aware of his surroundings. He knows his reach and exactly how far he is from any allies."

"You know, the more nice things you say, the more I wonder if I deserve them."

Eliwood ignored Hector's semi-serious quip. "Once you've fought with him some more, I'm sure you'll understand." _Either that or stay well away._

"No, I'm sure you're right." Lyn offered her hand to Hector. "I apologize again, Hector. Your help is greatly appreciated and I didn't mean to pick at you like that."

Hector clasped her forearm in traditional greeting. "No apology necessary," he replied gruffly, relaxing. "I'm just glad I can help."

Adelessa found herself relaxing as well. _There. Crisis averted._The doors before her drew her attention once more. "It's about time to finish this," she announced. "We'll have to rout all of the soldiers from Laus and find Lord Hausen. Spirits willing, we'll be able to get Lord Darin this time." The comforting and frightening sight of the three lords before her and the group spread behind them, all listening intently, bolstered her. "There's no time to waste." She turned and faced the entrance. The others passed her, walking into the castle before she did.

Bracing herself for what was going to be on the other side, Adelessa stepped through the doors.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Aydie reacts to blood loss the way I do: commence with all of the sleeping! All of it!

Somewhat big news that may interest you! I've decided to make an ask blog for the cast on Tumblr. If you've ever had the urge to ask a character a question and have them respond with some spiffy art, go to asktheabmcast dot tumblr dot com ! Ask a question or ask a bunch - I'll get to them as quickly as possible!

Thanks so much to my beta **Ryan **for his patience and wisdom in sorting through these documents. And thanks aplenty to my reviewers for their kind words, time, and encouragement: **kenegi, Tom-Ato13, patattack, MilleniaMaster, Drachegirl14, angelbeets, AquaticSilver, Sparks101,** and **Sentury**! Seriously, you guys make my day with every review you leave. It means so much to me that you care enough to review! :'3

(Oh Sain I missed writing for you)

Anywho! I'll see you guys this time next week~ Thanks for reading!


	24. Whereabouts Unknown

Whereabouts Unknown

The entry hall was no less grand than the doorway through which Adelessa had just passed. Vaulted ceilings arched high above her. From buttresses hung banners in green and yellow; Adelessa smiled grimly at the sight. _Apparently they haven't been able to reach those. _Large windows let light enter in blocky chunks. An aisle of green stones made a line through the middle of the gray stone floor. An annexed wing branched off of the main hall on either side about halfway down the aisle. At the far end of the hall, she could see the sharp right turn in the corridor beyond: that led to the audience hall.

Between the group and that door, however, were several Laus soldiers scrambling into formation. Adelessa didn't even need to give the order: Sain and Kent urged their horses forward, lances leveled at their targets. A fiery flower bloomed around the armored man in the center. The two Caelin knights struck their targets squarely and peeled off to either side to make way for Lowen and Marcus behind them. While Marcus had to abort his attack halfway – his opponent had a pike that would spear his horse through before he could land the hit – Lowen's strike landed firmly. Four out of the six men facing them were down already: the last two threw down their weapons and raised their hands in surrender. Marcus circled around and then herded them back toward the group.

"Obviously there are soldiers from Laus here," Adelessa said. She'd waved Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn over to join her as soon as Marcus had taken the two soldiers into custody. "Did you manage to see how many men attacked in the initial assault, Lyn?"

"I couldn't tell you exactly," the swordswoman replied, "but I think most of the troops were outside. They – they pretty well overran the soldiers inside the castle when they made it this far." Adelessa rested a hand on Lyn's arm; the green-haired noblewoman gave it a squeeze in thanks. "We probably took at least half casualties."

"I'm sure that the survivors are locked away somewhere as prisoners," Adelessa reassured her. She knew from letters exchanged that Lyn had grown close to the Caelin soldiers and that the men had come to adore her after only a short time. There was no doubt in her mind that many had sacrificed themselves to smuggle the heiress out of the castle when the assault started. Giving Lyn hope that she could repay the favor was important. "We'll make sure to rescue them – if Lord Darin were to choose to use them as hostages, it would severely limit our choices."

Hector made a noise of impatience in the back of his throat and crossed his arms. "So? We'll get them on our way to the audience hall and have done with it. There's no reason we can't do that." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, obviously ready to be done with taking the time to plan.

"That's my intention," Adelessa informed him. "Before we can secure the prisoners, however, we need to set up a defense. If we rescue them only to deliver them into fighting – and I'm sure they're not well enough for a battle if Laus is anything like other conquering forces – we've done them a disservice. I'd like to keep them out of any further fighting, if possible." Lyn and Eliwood nodded at that; Hector looked uncertain. "In order to do this as quickly as we can, we'll have to divide our strength.

"I want two groups to go out and search either annex," she ordered. "Dorcas, Matthew, Sain – I want you three to search the one on the left. Bartre, Florina, and Kent, I'd like you three to take the right one. Matthew, Sain, Kent, I'd like you to catch up with us up ahead when you're done. I want Lowen, Marcus, Dorcas, Bartre, and Florina to stay back here, watch the prisoners, and guard the entrance. Florina, if there's any trouble, I want you to come find me _immediately_, understood?" Adelessa waited for a nod in response before she continued. "I want everyone else to come with me for the main assault. There's no need for a particular formation, though I do want support and ranged units back and in the center. Lyn, I'd like for you to lead us to the audience hall – you know the castle the best and should be able to point out when we're near areas that could be used as cells or ambush points. As soon as you're ready," she said, "we'll break up into the groups."

"I'm ready now," Lyn replied. "Follow me – it's time we take back the castle!"

Adelessa had expected to see Hector bound off right after Lyn. Instead, he stood with a distant frown on his face. "Hector? Is something wrong?"

He shook off his daze when she spoke his name, looking down at her in surprise. "Nah," he replied. "Just felt a chill – you know, like when you're near someone who wants you dead. The old 'fighter's intuition' deal."

She'd never heard of that before, but then again, Adelessa could count on one hand how many times she'd actively fought back during combat instead of advising. Perhaps it was something more common to those who fought often or actually enjoyed doing so. She'd learned not to dismiss instinct and intuition; that was why she told him, "Let me know if that feeling gets any worse."

"Sure. No problem." The lord joined Eliwood and Lyn at the front of the assault group, leaving Adelessa to frown at his back. It wasn't like him to be so somber, but there was next to nothing she could do about it right now. The three other groups that she had formed split off on their own when she walked over to the forward group. She indulged in a moment to watch this before she turned to nod to Lyn.

"We're ready when you are," the tactician told her. "Lead the way."

"Yes - Eliwood, Hector, watch the side passages. There will be several along the way." Lyn unsheathed her sword. Eliwood did the same, but Hector's axe had already been in hand. Adelessa almost reached for her own knife; she didn't only because, after considering her situation, she realized that there was no real need for concern. She was surrounded by strong, capable fighters. The best way to protect herself and those around her would be to keep a level head and her eyes peeled for trouble.

Lyn led them into the corridor at the far end of the entrance hall. The green stone that had been used as the aisle now made up the entire floor. The walls were plain and gray after the tapestries and decorations that had adorned them were torn down. A couple of the windows that opened into a courtyard were broken, forcing them to skirt around shattered glass. Lyn's expression grew more morose and upset as they continued down the hall; Adelessa wished that there was something that she could say to comfort her.

It was as they turned a corner and began to ascend some stairs that Hector hollered a warning. Adelessa grabbed Serra and pulled her down; they very narrowly avoided an arrow. Adelessa took a moment to look up the stairs: there was a blockade of troops just beyond the top of the stairs that was advancing toward them and another standing guard at the mouth of an offshoot hallway. "Back!" Adelessa ordered, her voice cracking with surprise, when she saw archers raising their bows. An arrow ricocheted madly off of Hector's armor, leaving a gray scratch all the way across his side. He hunkered down just around the corner with the rest of the group, snarling in the general direction of their opponents.

"Aydie, what should we do?" Eliwood asked her. Adelessa closed her eyes, calling to mind the impression she'd been given when standing at the base of the stairs. _Thank goodness for a good memory!_

"They have archers, foot soldiers with pole arms, and I thought I saw some more heavily armored units behind the general infantry ones," she said. Lyn confirmed the last observation. "I don't want to fight up those stairs. They'll have the advantage there – trying to take on trained soldiers with such a disadvantage isn't something I want to do. I would have ranged units attack from the base of the stairs, but with those archers…."

"If someone with plenty of armor was to volunteer to be a shield," Hector said, breaking into her thoughts, "could you work with that?"

As much as she didn't want to send anyone into danger, she couldn't deny that the suggestion had its merits. "Yes, that would help," she said slowly, "though I'd hate to resort to that." She knew already that Hector would be on board for such a gambit: as reckless and bold as he was, it was a suggestion that she wasn't surprised he would offer. She didn't want to use this, but when they had to find Lord Hausen and he was at the mercy of known murderers – time was not a luxury she could waste. Assaulting them before they could reach her would be the faster way, if more risky.

"Do you have any other choice?" he challenged.

"Believe me, Hector, I'm aware of our situation!" She hadn't meant for her voice to be so sharp; Hector stared at her like she'd sprouted an extra arm. "Willfully placing you in harm's way to be a decoy is not something I particularly want to do, no matter how useful it might be!" Her mind whirled in the silence that followed her little outburst. The racket of footsteps on the stairs forced her to make a decision well before she wanted to, but there was _no time_. "Hector, Oswin, I want you in front. Erk, Rebecca, Wil, I want you three behind them. They're going to be busy protecting you – take out the archers up there first. Serra, Priscilla, be ready to heal anyone who gets injured." The oncoming troops, she judged, were about halfway down the stairs – there might just be enough time to get a couple of volleys in at the archers above before the melee fighters arrived. "Be _careful. _Keep your heads down. Go!"

Hector and Oswin were barreling into the stairway before the last word had fully left her mouth. The three others she had named scrambled immediately after those two. Rebecca hadn't stopped moving before she fired off her first shot; it thudded into the chest of one of the enemy archers and knocked him down. Wil's shot pierced another archer through the throat. Erk's lightning danced over the soldiers coming down the stairs – _Look at that, they _were _halfway down _– and struck a third archer. The soldiers, not expecting this sudden assault in return after such a hasty, messy retreat, scrambled to get out of the way of the missiles.

The initial surprise of their counterattack faded, but the damage was done. A second wave of arrows and magic finished off the last of the archers even while the soldiers on the stairs grabbed their weapons and surged downward. "Melee units, join Hector and Oswin!" Adelessa ordered. Eliwood, Lyn, and Guy jumped into the fray.

It was a messy scuffle: there wasn't a lot of room in which to trade blows. Those enemies that wielded pole arms found themselves at a disadvantage with the limited space. Oswin baffled any attempts to hit the three ranged units behind him and Hector demolished those enemies unfortunate enough to aim at them. Lyn, Eliwood, and Guy danced in circles around their opponents, sinking their blades into unprotected flesh. Guy yelped when a lucky hit scored a cut down his arm; he retreated and Priscilla was there in seconds to tend to the wound. Serra darted out before Adelessa could stop her when a lance punctured the armor over Oswin's shoulder; the pale blue glow mended the flesh beneath it together as Erk retaliated with a gout of flame that incinerated the last soldier standing.

"Lady Lyndis! Aydie!" Adelessa turned to see Kent and Sain racing up the hall, swords in hand. Matthew was riding behind the commander; he slid off the horse's back when Kent slowed the beast to a walk. "We heard a commotion while on our way to regroup – is everything alright?"

"Yes – we're fine. It was just a small scuffle, that's all." Lyn was hardly winded by the frantic fight; she took a moment to clean off the blade of the Mani Katti with a cloth folded around her belt. "Did you search and secure the entrance hall and the annexes?" she asked while she did so.

"The group instructed to remain behind is stationed in the entrance hall," Kent reported. "After we finished the sweep through our respective assignments, we returned. There were a few soldiers, but we dispatched them with little trouble. Have you found any prisoners?"

"I think we may have a good lead, at the very least," Adelessa said. She pointed at where half the soldiers had been standing as a blockade: the mouth of the offshoot hallway was empty. "From what we saw earlier, I'd imagine that there are Caelin soldiers being held in a room off of that hall. Priscilla, if you'd be so kind as to come with me to assist if any of the Caelin soldiers are injured?" She waited for the young noblewoman to join her on foot before she started for the stairs. "I'd like the rest of you to stay here in case any more Laus soldiers come to check on the situation. They may have heard us." She highly doubted that there would be anyone so cold-blooded as to sit by and remain at his station when he heard his fellows attacked and so didn't worry about the possibility of an attack. Her rush to go in, rescue the soldiers, and get out made her forget that having Lyn or another fighter along would be a good idea. Nothing would go wrong among allies, right?

Reaching the hall with a few fast steps up the stairs, Adelessa found herself greatly regretting that assumption. Here was a mean-eyed swordsman – a mercenary, by the looks of it – with his sword pointed at her as soon as she entered the corridor. "Don't call for help." Adelessa raised her hands instantly; this had become a negotiation, not a fight. If he had wanted to fight, she had no doubt that this red-haired man would have taken a swing at her without a second thought.

"As you wish," she replied levelly. Adelessa wanted to sidle over to her right to block Priscilla from his sight. "What do you want with us?"

"You're serving under the Lady Lyndis, Lord Eliwood, and Lord Hector, are you not?" There was an odd inflection to Hector's name that she couldn't quite place. Red flags flared up in her head. When she hesitated to answer, the swordsman switched his gaze to Priscilla. Adelessa watched as his eyes narrowed, as if he was in deep thought, before he said, "Priscilla?"

"Hm?" The troubadour was taken aback by his sudden focus on her. "Do I know you?"

"You," he said to Adelessa, "stay right where you are. Stay silent. I'd like to talk to you for a moment, Priscilla." The broadsword that he had leveled at Adelessa was returned to its holder on the man's back. A short, intense conversation that she couldn't quite hear passed between the two when they were at the far side of the hall. Adelessa couldn't help but wonder about the facts that the man had recognized Priscilla and that his hair was nearly the same shade as hers. _Surely she would know him if related,_ she decided, puzzled. _They're roughly the same age – perhaps an acquaintance from schooling? _Adelessa decided that it wasn't particularly important at about the same time that he returned with Priscilla; the latter seemed an odd mix of apprehensive and happy. "You're the commander of these forces?" At her nod, he thrust his hand out for her to take. "I'm Raven. I'd like to offer my services as a fighter for your group. I've always wanted to deal with a lord from Ostia."

She took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Your assistance is much appreciated," she replied. _I can't shake the feeling that he has an agenda._ Raven studied her while she did the same to him. _Hopefully it's nothing more malicious than keeping an eye on any events. _Somehow Adelessa doubted that was the case, but she was willing to hope for now. Paranoia was far too exhausting to try to keep it up all the time. "Do you know where the Caelin soldiers are being kept?"

"This way." He stalked over to a door – there was really no other way to describe how he moved; it screamed of dangerous skill, as if the easy way he had handled his broadsword wasn't enough of a warning – and unlocked it. Neatly sidestepping a lunge, he held out the key he'd used to the battered-looking Caelin soldier who had jumped at him. "You really thought I'd gone over to their side?"

"You are rather convincing, Raven." _I recognize that voice! _"I can hardly fault them for their concern." Adelessa couldn't help but hurry over when she saw the familiar white robes and blond hair of Lucius. The monk caught sight of her and smiled widely; she clasped his hands with both of her own in greeting. "Of all the times for you to show up." He shook his head.

"I've been hearing that a lot over the course of today," she replied, smiling. "You look well. Are you injured?"

"No, and if possible, I'd like to be under your command for the duration of this battle." He held up a tome to show her. "We could hear the sounds of battle from inside the room and I know that your counsel is sound."

"Thank you – I'm glad for your help." She turned to the Caelin soldiers who had slowly formed ranks while she had been speaking with Lucius. "Easy," she soothed them when they looked as if they wanted to go to attention or salute or something else equally unnecessary. "I'm glad to tell you that Lady Lyndis is well and fighting to reclaim the castle. We've secured the front half of the castle by now and will be continuing to search for Lord Hausen. Your hard work has helped us immensely, which is why I hate to ask any more from you. At Lady Lyndis' request, I would like to ask you to refrain from joining this fight." A burst of shocked noise rose up from them at that; she waited until their demands had died down before she explained. "I ventured – and she agreed – that after the wounds you've sustained and the conditions in which you've been held may have worn on you. While normally I would like nothing more than to have you join me, I have to ask that you rest while my company handles this situation."

It took no small amount of persuasion and reassurances, but by the time Priscilla had made rounds through the most injured Adelessa had managed to extract a promise from the men that they would stay out of the fight. Returning to the group, she explained the situation with the rescued prisoners and made quick introductions for Raven and Lucius. As expected, the others from Lyndis' Legion expressed their glee at seeing the monk.

Adelessa took that time to draw Matthew aside. With a low voice, she murmured, "I want you to keep an eye on Raven. I don't know if I trust him."

"Oh, I certainly don't," Matthew replied, giving her an odd, appraising look. She wasn't quite sure how she should take it, but it resolved into his normal expression quickly enough that there wasn't time to ask him about it. "Sure, I'll keep my eyes on him. Anything else?"

She shook her head and joined Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn at the front of the group. "I believe it's about time we made the final push for the audience hall," she told them. "Now that the captured soldiers are safe, there's nothing that prevents us from bringing the fight to Lord Darin."

"And here I thought you'd never give us the go-ahead," Hector said, grinning fiercely.

"It seems like a fair time to end this battle," Eliwood agreed. "Lyn, will you lead us?"

"Yes – it's not much further," she said. As Lyn started down the hall, Adelessa back at the rest of the group. Those from Lyndis' Legion had formed up into their old formation. Those who she had met since agreeing to guide Eliwood arrayed themselves outside of that inner group. The sight struck Adelessa for a moment and she had to smooth away goosebumps. She wasted no more than a few seconds on that before going down the hall as well.

They encountered one more group of Laus soldiers on their way to the audience hall, but it was hardly worth mentioning. Raven proved that he was a worthy addition to the group: his broadsword cleaved one enemy nearly in half with a swing and he dropped another with the next. Lucius was just as able as the last time Adelessa had worked with him. He used his magic to blind and stupefy enemies instead of attacking them directly. How he kept it from happening to his allies was something that intrigued Adelessa as she watched him weave banners of light in the air. She made a note to ask him about it later, when they had a quiet moment.

Finally, they were in the entrance hall. Adelessa was disappointed to see that Lord Darin wasn't there, instead having left a heavily armored man in his place. She was worried that they had not yet found Lord Hausen. "I am Bernard, Knight Commander of Laus!" their opponent announced from the raised lip at the far end of the room. He stood in front of the chair in which the marquess normally sat. "I intend to fight those who bested Bauker!"

"Is that all this is to you?" Lyn demanded, the Mani Katti at the ready in her grip. "Is this all just some meaningless measure of strength, some sort of game?" Her eyes were livid. "_Where is my grandfather?_"

When all she received in return was stony silence, Lyn hissed a long breath out between gritted teeth and sprang forward. Before she reached Bernard, he swatted her away with the butt of his lance. A flash of brilliant light made him throw a hand up as he squinted. A ball of fire rolled across his armor, seeking a weakness that it found under one arm. The Knight Commander of Laus roared in pain and found Kent's lance piercing his side. Sain's sank not far from it, to be followed by a bone-rattling crash when Hector's axe shattered the armor over his chest.

Adelessa and Serra ran over to where Lyn was struggling to sit up. A bruise was already forming on her upper arm from where the staff had hit her; Serra healed it, much to Lyn's obvious relief. The three looked over to where Hector, Eliwood, and Matthew were scouring the room. The grim expression on Hector's face as he waved Lyn and Adelessa over made her stomach tie up in knots. "Look here," he said, and motioned at a dark stain on the fabric of the chair. "Blood."

"_Blood?_" The color drained out of Lyn's face fast enough that Adelessa thought it necessary to steady her. Lyn hardly acknowledged the hand on her back. The young woman's eyes were locked on the splotches of red. "No – it can't – he can't-!"

"Lyndis!" Eliwood calling her name so sharply brought Lyn out of her daze. Her head snapped up to look at him. "Calm down. He may only be wounded."

"We'll find him, Lyn," Adelessa added soothingly. "He probably went to hide somewhere to recover." Before she could continue, she noticed that something moved in the corner of her vision. Her head snapped around to stare at a woman who had just entered the room. Pinkish-red hair, a beige-green cloak, and a dagger belted on her hip – these observations were stamped in Adelessa's mind. "Who are you?"

The woman didn't answer her. Adelessa wondered if they were about to face a second wave of attacks when Hector squinted at the newcomer. "You – you're… Leila!"

The newcomer gave a short bow in answer, along with a redundant, "Yes, it's me, Lord Hector." She straightened, looked her lord in the eye, and started to walk over. "It's been some time."

"You know her?" Adelessa asked, wanting to confirm that nothing was awry.

"Sure – her name's Leila. She… works for Ostia, running errands and the like." Hector _fidgeted _under the flat stares from Eliwood and Adelessa both and blurted, "All right, all right, she's a spy like Matthew." Matthew's quiet groan floated up from somewhere behind Adelessa and Leila merely shook her head in exasperation.

"You're a _what?_" Lyn asked, staring at Matthew. "You said you were a thief!"

"My lord," he said imploringly, "would you mind kindly _not _blowing my cover to every person who happens to talk to you? You have no idea how hard this makes my job!" Hector scowled at him and Adelessa could only imagine the glower that Matthew was giving him in return.

Leila chose to ignore her lord's blundering entirely. "Lord Eliwood of Pherae, Lady Lyndis of Caelin, Lady Aydie the tactician, correct?" At their nods, she bowed slightly. "I am Leila. Pleased to meet your acquaintance." The spy caught Lyn's eye. "Lady Lyndis, Marquess Caelin is in the room behind me. He's currently receiving treatment."

"He's safe?" Lyn grabbed Adelessa's hand and clutched it tightly. Leila nodded. Slumping with relief, Lyn gave Adelessa a tight hug. "Father Sky and Mother Earth," she prayed into Adelessa's shoulder, "I thank you for your mercy!" A few stroking pats to her back helped her calm down.

"Leila," Hector asked after a moment, "what are you doing here?" Adelessa realized that Matthew had moved to stand next to his lord while she had been tending to Lyn.

"I-" She hesitated in continuing, looking between both Hector and Matthew. When each gave her a nod, she straightened. "I'm following orders set out for me by Lord Uther. He instructed me to investigate the disappearance of Marquess Pherae."

Until then, Eliwood had been content to stand on the edge of the group and listen. This, however, made him step forward. "My father?" The hope in his voice was almost painful. "What have you learned?"

"Come with me – we should discuss this in private." Leila stepped through the door she had just left. Hector, Lyn, and Adelessa immediately went to follow; Eliwood hung back for a moment. Adelessa paused in the doorway, seeing the almost pleading look that he gave her. She waved for him to follow. With no small amount of trepidation – she could see just how much he was unsure of this – Eliwood joined her. Leila had tucked them in a small alcove at the end of a hall. She sat on a bench and interlaced her fingers. "Let me begin with my conclusion.

"Marquess Pherae is alive."

There was a beat of silence after Leila's declaration while her news sank in. It erupted in noise; Hector whooped and slapped Eliwood's back. "Eliwood, that's wonderful!" Lyn cheered.

"You're sure?" Eliwood asked, as if he didn't dare to believe the good news.

"I've been posing as a member of the Black Fang for almost half a year now." Adelessa was impressed; surely such an assignment was no easy feat. "That's where I obtained this information – I find it hard to think that it wouldn't be true."

"The Black Fang – Erik spoke of them. They're a league of assassins," Adelessa said.

"Yes. Those in the spying networks have known of their existence for quite some time." Adelessa knew her face asked her question; Leila glanced at Hector again, who nodded for her to explain. With the air of someone reciting a lesson by rote, the spy said, "The Black Fang is a guild of assassins. It was founded roughly ten years ago by Brendan Reed, a Bern native. They originally operated there and their headquarters are still somewhere in the Bernese mountain country. In the beginning, Brendan only marked nobles who abused their station and power as targets. The masses saw them as magnanimous and defenders of common good. Their activities had wide support.

"Then, about a year ago, Brendan remarried. Since then, the Black Fang's operations have changed. It was a slow and gradual transition, but it's noticeably different. The difficulty doesn't matter so long as they're paid accordingly. The worst part is that they're no longer targeting only criminals – anyone is a fair target."

Lyn's hands clenched tightly in her lap; she leaned toward Leila. "Is this group responsible for the attack this morning and the wounds given to my grandfather?"

Leila's lips thinned into a grim line. "Yes." She took a deep breath. "The cause of the change is obvious – Reed's wife has been pushing him and his operations in this direction. This reaches beyond her, however. A man named Nergal is in communication with Reed's wife. We know almost nothing of this Nergal, except that his retainer Ephidel is with Marquess Laus. We're sure that he's the one who planted the seeds of rebellion in Laus. Of the rebellion… The first to answer Laus' call was Marquess Santaruz." There was an uncomfortable pause; for Adelessa and Lyn, this was simply the name of a man who had died an unfortunate death due to his hand in politics and rebellion. For Hector and Eliwood, however, it was the confirmation that a teacher and friend had chosen rebellion. It was far harder for them to hear it. "The next to answer was Lord Elbert, Marquess Pherae."

Eliwood half-stood; Hector forced him back in his seat. "You're telling me that my father _agreed _to this- this mad scheme?"

"I can't say for certain," Leila answered diplomatically. "I honestly don't have enough information to confirm my suspicions one way or another. What I _do _know is that he's waiting where Marquess Laus is traveling now. It's called the Dragon's Gate."

"The Dragon's Gate?" Adelessa had made a point of studying geography and maps of Elibe. She'd never heard of this place before. "Where is that?"

"On the isle Valor." _That _name was familiar; it was a fair-sized island off of the southern coast of Lycia. Adelessa's skin crawled despite trying to steel herself against the images that sprang to mind from the stories she'd heard of the island. It was a place supposedly filled to the brim with the energy of dark magic.

"Of all the places to be – blast it!" Even Hector looked rattled by the news.

"What kind of place is it?" Lyn hadn't been around long enough to be introduced to the Lycian myth.

"It's a haunted place," Adelessa answered, almost making the hands-head-heart sign of Elimine to ward herself. "There are those who say that stepping onto the island is the last thing that many do. Very few people have been known to return from it sane and well. It's called the Dread Isle by many."

"It doesn't matter," Eliwood declared stubbornly. "If my father is on the Dread Isle, then I will follow him there to find him and this Dragon's Gate, too!"

"I'm going with you." Hector scowled at Eliwood. "You can't stop me. Don't even try."

"When I told you that I'd assist you with finding your father, I intended to see this through to the end. Rumors of curses are hardly enough to keep me from fulfilling my promise." Eliwood's grateful smile was thanks enough for her.

"I'm also going." Lyn's quiet declaration surprised all three of them. Eliwood was the first to recover.

"Lyndis, I appreciate your kindness, but – shouldn't you stay here with Marquess Caelin?"

"No." She raised her head. Her face was calm, though Adelessa recognized the fire blazing in her eyes. "Laus needs to be stopped. If they're not, they might target my grandfather again – I won't allow that. And… losing a parent is an unbearable pain. I don't want you to suffer that, Eliwood. Helping your father – I can't _not _help you."

"I'll also continue my investigation," Leila added. "I will try to send a letter should I find anything of note. Lady Lyndis, if you don't mind, I think it would be best for the world to believe that Marquess Caelin is dead. Unlike Matthew, my cover has not yet been broken." Hector grimaced sheepishly at that. The others in the room didn't even bother trying to hide their smiles.

"I'll do that – thank you for all you've done."

"No thanks are necessary. If you'll excuse me." Leila stood and made for the door.

"Leila!" She stopped when Hector spoke her name. "Nergal and this… Ephidel, you said? What are they like?"

The spy was quiet for a long moment. "I've yet to lay eyes on Nergal. However, I _have _spoken to Ephidel on several occasions. He's… eerie. He constantly wears a cloak that covers his face, yet…" Seeing the other woman – stoic until now – unnerved like this made Adelessa nervous in turn. "His eyes – they glow golden. You can't miss them. They seem… inhuman." She made the sign of warding, touching the palms of her hands with the opposite fingers and then her forehead and chest. She slipped out of the room, leaving the four in silence.

Lyn got up after a moment, likely to check on her grandfather. Eliwood and Hector spoke quietly, a private conversation, and so Adelessa excused herself as well. She wandered the halls for a time, remembering fondly the short amount of time she spent here after dealing with Lundgren. _It's been worth all the trouble – seeing everyone again reminds me of that. _Already some of the green and gold tapestries were being hung up again; the smell of something spicy wafted from the kitchen, though Adelessa found that she wasn't hungry.

"Matthew." She heard Leila's voice when she was near one of the broken windows into a courtyard. She froze and stopped trying to tug her tunic free from a loose windowsill upon which it was caught; the tone of the other woman's voice was a very private one, entirely unlike the tone she had when reporting to Hector. "It's been a long time."

"Too long." Her heart leaped when she heard Matthew's voice. It was happy, quietly so, and content. "What have you been doing? More dangerous work?"

"We're _spies_, Matthew. _Every__thing _we do is dangerous."

A sigh; Adelessa wanted to _go_, to get away from a conversation she wasn't supposed to be hearing, but she felt that if she moved the sill would slap against the stone wall and reveal her presence. "That's true. So how long do you think your mission's going to last?"

"My objective is the same as yours – I intend to see through the rescue of Marquess Pherae. If things go well, I'll be in Ostia at about the same time as you are."

"Oh?" Matthew sounded pleased by that. "If that's so, I think I might have to take you to visit my hometown."

"Why?"

"Oh, nothing too large. I just thought I'd introduce you to my parents." He laughed, a rolling sound. "Well, that's all – I'll see you. Take care of yourself!" Adelessa gave her tunic a careful but firm last tug. Luckily, it slipped free without causing a racket and she fled the hallway. She scrambled to the other side of the castle and hid herself in an empty room.

_Of course someone like Matthew is in a relationship,_ she thought, trying hard not to feel too disappointed by this development. It was hard; she had gotten her hopes up and her heart wasn't interested in any logic that she tried to use. _Good job reading into plain friendliness, Adelessa, you stupid, stupid girl._ She paced back and forth, trying to work out her agitation and sadness with each step. The attempt was futile.

She couldn't compare to Leila. The other woman was a spy, like Matthew, and certainly more capable. Matthew had only been friendly. _Crap._ She couldn't stop the sharp pain of- no, no, she refused to think the word "heartbreak", this had only been a little itty bitty crush, nothing _serious_. No, it was nothing to get worked up about when she had been thinking of-

Adelessa killed that thought before it could be finished. She threw herself down on the bench and started to count the stones in the ceiling to distract herself. By the time Rebecca found her for dinner, she'd composed herself to the point where she didn't feel like she'd make a complete fool of herself. The meal passed without anything more distressing than Sain trying to woo each woman in the group – honestly, she hadn't expected anything different from him – and Kent having to report on the aftermath of Laus' attack.

She laid out a plan: in the morning, the group would ride south to get to the nearest port town, Badon, and search for a boat and crew that would be willing to ferry them to Valor. To be honest, she thought that getting some rest would have been nice, but she also knew that asking Eliwood to delay any part of their journey would be close to maddening for him. Adelessa would just have to watch the group to make sure that no one was getting too fatigued. Her suggestion for the next day was accepted, though they agreed set out late in the morning to give everyone time to get plenty of sleep. Matthew's joking jab that she was working herself far too hard made her heart give a painful lurch; she excused herself as soon as it was polite and unremarkable. When the spy asked about practice, Adelessa claimed fatigue and wormed out of their usual lesson without too much trouble.

She collapsed into the bed, her face buried in her pillow. Despite being tired after the long day, her traitorous mind thought that it was a perfect time to bring up the thought of Matthew again. His easy-going grin and wry looks of humor when she did something particularly amusing flashed in her mind's eye and she shoved her face into the pillow even further. Eventually she drifted off to sleep, though she woke up in fitful spurts throughout the night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Woo! Another chapter down. We're starting to get into the meat of the story, folks, and I'm super-excited for it!

Many thanks to my beta in helping me out with some of Aydie's actions and reactions in this chapter. You're great! And my lovely reviewers - **patattack, Tom-Ato13, Drachegirl14, Sentury, MilleniaMaster, Sparks101, AquaticSilver, Sethera, **and **angelbeets**~ Seriously, guys, I don't know if I would be this inspired if not for your kind words. I love sharing this story with you.

Until next week! :3 Take care, guys, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	25. The Port of Badon

The Port of Badon

Adelessa couldn't remember the last time she slept so poorly. Her mind had refused to quiet down during the night. She had tossed and turned, tossed and turned, tossed and turned – she finally gave up and unhappily dragged herself out of bed. Between the news about the Black Fang, the necessity of trying to find a way to the Dread Isle, and the unhappy revelation that Matthew was involved in a relationship, her mind kept spinning. There wasn't a chance of distracting herself from the mad trains of thought that crashed around inside her skull.

Her mind's agitation made her feet restless. Adelessa forced them to be patient while she pulled on loose black breeches and a yellow blouse, both of Etrurian style, and wrangled with her hair until it was mostly orderly. Then they were off, meandering through the nearly-silent castle. Hardly anyone was up a mark before dawn. With how dark it was in some of the hallways, Adelessa wished that she had thought to grab a candle. She sulked aimlessly until she found herself at the entrance to an eastward-facing courtyard.

Sinking onto bench next to a rose bush, Adelessa stared up at the slightly-faded stars. They twinkled at her, sparkling waves of greeting. _I don't know if I've felt this tired in years, _Adelessa thought at them. They didn't respond, of course, and she propped her head in her hands. It wasn't just sleeping poorly that caused her fatigue; the disappointment that the person to whom she was attracted was out of her reach and the revelation that they would have to go to a cursed island to rescue Lord Elbert were both taxing. Every skirmish as Eliwood's adviser brought new challenges. It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't feel like another problem hit before she had recovered from the last.

_Is it too much to ask,_ she thought to the stars, _to ask for a break once in a while? _Their only answer was to twinkle silently back at her when she lifted her head again. Adelessa stared at the sky long enough to completely lose track of the time while she tried to quiet her thoughts. When the sky started to grow orange with the budding dawn, Adelessa stood up again. Her legs were stiff from sitting still in the chilly morning air; she paused to stretch them out.

"Aydie, what are you doing up at this hour?" She jumped in surprise; she hadn't heard Kent come up behind her. The Knight Commander of Caelin stood in the doorway to the castle, looking at her with a puzzled look on his face.

"I had enough of sleeping," she answered. _It's not a complete lie, _she thought. She didn't want to explain what was on her mind, but she didn't want to mislead Kent. She straightened into a normal standing position from how she had been stretching. "A lot happened yesterday - I thought getting some fresh air might help me mull some of it over."

"Ah." Kent nodded in understanding. "Let me know if there's anything with which I can assist you." Before she could thank him, he frowned sharply enough that Adelessa glanced over her shoulder to check for a misbehaving page. "Aydie, your arm – I didn't see that yesterday."

"Oh!" The bandages – she'd forgotten that no one at Caelin knew that she had been wounded at Laus. "It's from a week ago – don't worry, it's mostly healed by now. Serra said she'd take the bandages off for good this morning. I just found the wrong end of a sword in a fight."

Kent's eyebrows took residence somewhere near his hairline. "You found the wrong end of a sword," he repeated dryly. When she nodded, he shook his head in disbelief. "I thought that someone would have had the mind to make sure to protect you in a fight."

"To be fair, I was alone except for Rebecca." Adelessa leaned up against the wall and found herself relating the whole story of that night in Laus Castle. "Luckily their commander was intelligent – he called for a retreat as soon as he knew his last gambit failed. I didn't last much longer after the fight, but I saw a healer first thing in the morning."

"And the healing didn't take?" They both stared at her arm. Kent was astounded; Adelessa was merely annoyed and accepting of the anomaly that was her apparent resistance to staves. He didn't need her to answer that question. "How odd. I know Lyn and Lucius looked into it at one point, but they didn't find anything that they could say for certain was the cause."

"They found something?" Adelessa was curious; this was more than she'd ever heard.

"You'd have to ask one of them – I wasn't terribly interested in the subject." Kent shrugged, unfazed by his admission of ignorance. "There were too many things to do as the new Knight Commander. I had plenty on which I needed to work, and – ah, Lucius, good morning."

"Good morning to you as well, Kent, Aydie." The monk appeared in the doorway after a few seconds. "How are you today?"

"We're well – we were just talking about the research you and Lyn were doing for a spell after she had to leave for her exam. Actually, if you'll pardon me, I have to speak to my men about Sain and I being absent while we accompany you on this quest, Aydie."

Adelessa watched him walk away for a moment before she turned her eyes to Lucius. "Kent said that you'd found some mention of immunity to healing?"

"I did – please, let's sit. It's too nice out to refrain from relaxing for a time and I have no idea how long it will take us to cover this subject. There may be a lot that we end up covering." When both of them had situated themselves on the bench Adelessa had occupied earlier, Lucius started, "I think all of us were surprised – including you – when Serra's healing didn't affect you. It was something that started to bother Lyn a few days after you left for Etruria. If Matthew hadn't been there to rescue you or had the blow been any worse, we might have lost you that day." Lucius laced his fingers together and rested them in his lap, his thumbs tapping against each other idly as he spoke. "I think that scared her. She enlisted my help – she knew I was something of a scholar and Erk had left by then – to investigate circumstances that might cause this problem of yours.

"We set to searching. I contacted others of the Church to see if they had ever heard of a case where an otherwise normal person rejected a healing. The results that I heard back were singularly unpleasant: the only cases of healings having no effect as I described were if there was an underlying disease that ate away at their health. Since you seem healthy, have complained of no ailments, and have had the same reaction to another healing, I imagine that wouldn't be the case.

"Lyn remembered hearing a story of a person who was cursed by the spirits to suffer when she was growing up in her tribe. While we couldn't find the specific story – Sacaeans rarely write down their myths and legends, instead passing it down in spoken storytelling – it made us wonder if you had a spell on you."

Adelessa was shaking her head before Lucius even finished speaking. "If there is, it would have to be terribly subtle." She fished her medallion out from the neck of her shirt. "The only spell active on or around me should be the protective spell on this pendant. I mean, if we found someone who could _see _magic or spells, we could make sure, but I doubt that I'm affected by any sort of spell that would do something like that. I'd think it would be obvious if I had one."

"Hm." Lucius hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "Then I believe we're back to the beginning. I would like to see if we can find someone able to see magical signatures, if only to be certain that you're unaffected by any spells." He sighed. "I admit, I'm actually somewhat glad that this is unexplainable still. Both of those scenarios sound like they would be terrible to live with."

Adelessa sighed. "If I could choose, I'd almost rather know and find a way to work through the problems that came with one or the other than still have no idea why a fundamental bit of magic has no effect on me." She didn't mean to sound frustrated, but her fatigue was getting the better of her. "Sorry, Lucius – I didn't mean to bark at you like that. Thank you for looking into this. I don't know if you're still doing anything with it, but if you do find something out, I'd like to hear it."

"Certainly. I'm just sorry that I can't put you more at ease." Lucius reached over to gently touch her shoulder. "Just try to remember that you're not alone in this, Aydie. Those of us from Lyndis' Legion – and, I'm sure, Eliwood and Hector's additions – are here for you."

The warm glow in Adelessa's chest was so strong that it almost made her uncomfortable. "Thank you," she told him, her voice quiet but intense. "It means the world to me." _How did I manage to keep my head above water without the support of these people when I was traveling this past year? Letters just don't compare. _Lucius' quiet reminder that she wasn't struggling alone gave her a measure of relief. If things got too heavy for her to bear alone, she had so many people around her that would be willing to help.

Suddenly Adelessa realized just how much time had passed: the stars were hidden behind a pink and blue sky and she could see a sliver of the sun peeking over trees. She grasped the chance to retreat from emotions that she wasn't sure she could handle right at that moment. "If you don't mind," she said, "I think I should start checking with Eliwood and Hector to ensure our plans for the day." Lucius left the courtyard as well, though he left to check on Raven, citing that he had to ensure that his partner was ready to leave. _I would never have figured that those two would work together, _she mused absently.

She found both Eliwood and Hector in the dining area, which was unsurprising: she'd learned that both of them enjoyed a hearty breakfast. A quick conversation between the three of them in which Lyn joined partway through finalized the details of Adelessa's plan. They would leave two marks before noon and travel along the main road south to Badon. A messenger had been sent first thing that morning to ask around the ships docked there if they would be willing to provide transport to Valor. Lyn had to take care of a few last-minute preparations for her departure; she spent most of the morning with her steward to cover what needed to be done in her absence. Adelessa lost track of Hector and Eliwood shortly after she finished speaking with them. She spent the rest of the morning going over her maps, equipment, tack, and, when she ran out of other things to keep herself busy, she assisted in cleaning and repairing what she could from damage dealt by the attack.

For all that she had been concerned that their departure might be delayed – it was the way things had been going with her luck recently – Adelessa was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did the group leave Caelin on time, but they also made good time traveling south. The roads were clear and the weather was mild. The journey was largely unremarkable. Serra and Erk returned to their bickering ways, Sain recited flowery compliments to Priscilla until a cross Guy shooed him away, and Matthew whistled jauntily to himself. It still hurt somewhat to look at him – she liked him _so much _and knowing that he was off-limits was painfully hard to accept – but she felt marginally better than she had last night.

That or nearly falling asleep in the saddle was a wonderful balm for hurt feelings.

"Adelessa, are you _sure _you don't want to take a nap in Merlinus' cart? You look like death warmed over," Hector informed her frankly. "Sure, it might be bumpy, but at least you won't have to worry about pitching over like a little lambkin when you finally fall asleep." Lyn's scolding didn't seem to faze him.

Adelessa waved her hand at him in response. "I'm not _that_ tired," she protested. Perhaps she was swaying a bit in the saddle, but her mare was a sturdy horse and she wasn't in danger of toppling off any time soon. Her eyelids were just a bit heavy. She didn't think she was in any danger of falling asleep; she had far too much to think about. Straightening her back – okay, so maybe she was slouching a _bit_– she shook her head at Hector and met his eyes. "Just a bit drowsy. I'll be fine."

She caught Matthew staring intently at her out of the corner of her eye, but she couldn't return his gaze. He could be as suspicious as he wanted. She wasn't going to deal with that right now. "It's funny - you think that's a suggestion." Her attention returned to Hector who was a lot closer than she remembered him being. When he hoisted her right off her saddle, Adelessa couldn't help but yelp in surprise. Insult added to injury when he slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Hector set her down surprisingly carefully amidst the boxes in Merlinus' wagon despite her baleful stare. "Yes, yes, you can be as angry with me as you want, but you'll thank me for it later. Now get some sleep."

Adelessa kept up her vexed glare well past when Hector walked off to continue doing whatever it was. _At least I was at the back end of the group,_ she thought grumpily, shoving a couple of boxes around to give her something against which she could comfortably lean. _Hopefully no one except Matthew saw it._ She crossed her arms over her chest and wriggled back against the crates. She closed her eyes and let her head tip forward. _I'll just rest for a little while._

* * *

><p>Matthew was sure that something was going on with Aydie.<p>

Not only had she begged out of practice last night – something she had never done before, even when she had been feeling less than perfect – but she had immediately disappeared after hardly eating anything at dinner. Rebecca, who normally shared a room or tent with her, had no idea where the tactician had squirreled herself away. It took the girl the better part of the evening before she finally found the room where Aydie had sequestered herself. Rebecca told him to stop fussing when she returned to where she made him wait. "Let her sleep – she's had a long day!" the archer had scolded. "I would be tired too!"

A long day? A long day was the whole "launch an assault on Castle Caelin and Lundgren" thing she did a year ago. Matthew remembered that she'd been nowhere near as… hollow-looking as she was when she got up from the table. She did a good job of hiding it – Aydie was good at concealing what she thought from most people. The problem here was that he wasn't "most people." She could fool the whole world into thinking she was hunky-dory and he would _still _know that something was going on.

And then – _and then_, as if last night hadn't been enough – Aydie skipped breakfast. This was normal when they were on the road; Merlinus stole so much of her time in the morning that someone always smuggled her extra food from breakfast. Whenever they stopped in an inn or somewhere like that, though, Aydie was _always _munching happily away on simple fare before anyone else thought to visit the kitchens. Not only that, but she had avoided the rest of the group so skillfully that he couldn't help but be impressed.

And _then_ she had showed up with those dark bags under her eyes, swaying in the saddle, and half-asleep even when she was talking to Hector. While talking to his lord, she had to drag herself up into sitting straight from slouching. He'd never seen her do something like that: her posture was always perfect. She'd let Hector – _let_ him, without hardly a struggle that he _knew _she would have given had she been feeling like herself because she was so damn proud – pluck her off her horse and put her in the supply wagon. The brunette was asleep within a minute, her protests of being "just a bit drowsy" notwithstanding.

There was something going on with Aydie. And, well, Matthew was worried.

When they reached the port town, he and Hector glanced at each other. Both knew the other well enough to read their faces: his lord wondered if they should wake up the slumbering young woman in the wagon. Matthew raised an eyebrow in reply, asking if he really wanted to risk Aydie's wrath when – not if, _when_ – she learned that they had let her sleep while work needed to be done. Hector didn't _quite _wince. Waving for Matthew to do what he wanted, his lord wandered off to talk with Lord Eliwood and Lady Lyndis.

When Matthew came around to the back end of the wagon, he stopped and stared for a moment. Aydie was half sitting up, her shoulders wedged between a support for the wagon's wall and several boxes. Her arms were crossed over her chest, hands hanging limply from her wrists. Her face was drawn down into a frown and her eyes moved sharply behind their lids. Whatever sleep she was getting wasn't terribly restful. He felt less bad about waking her up.

"Aydie," he called. Even though it was quiet, it snapped her into awareness. _Why do you have a reaction like that?_ he wanted to ask. _What are you hiding, Aydie? _Bright green eyes blinked at him, sharpening to full alertness from sleep in the matter of seconds. "We're in Badon. I think my lord, Lady Lyndis, and Lord Eliwood are going to start looking for a ship to hire."

Aydie stretched slightly and rose to her feet without too much trouble; she bumped into a box and teetered for a second before she corrected her balance. Matthew backed away from the opening at the back of the wagon. She carefully slid past the wood, stretching more fully once she was out of the cramped space. But there it was again: she was carefully avoiding his gaze. In fact, it almost seemed like Aydie was determined not to look at him.

"Aydie," and she turned _just enough _to indicate that she was listening but not enough to look at him, "what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" She could fake ignorance and innocence with the best of them.

"You're acting strangely," he reminded her. The way her shoulders stiffened showed him that he was right. Aydie knew she was acting oddly, which meant that she was hiding something. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing about which you need to worry," she replied. If Matthew didn't know better, the way she pulled her hair behind her shoulders would have seemed relaxed, subconscious. He noticed it to be stiff and – was that _anxiety?_What was there to be anxious about? "I'm dealing with it."

"By staying up all night and not getting any sleep? You're right, you're doing a fantastic job of that." He mentally winced; barking at her like that was not a good idea or what he meant to do. He'd gotten used to Aydie actually sharing her thoughts with him and this sudden change to hiding them again was jarring. But if Aydie wasn't infuriatingly frustrating, he didn't know who was! "You're acting-"

"I assure you," she snapped back, "that, if I'm acting a certain way, there is reason for it!" He'd forgotten just how bad an idea it was to prod at her while she was tired. During their time as Lyndis' Legion, Sain had been on the wrong end of Aydie's grouchy tongue more than once. Knowing that he wasn't the only victim didn't make it sting less. He saw her take a deep breath before she turned around to face him. There was still a trace of the anger that made her snap at him on her face, but she had mostly composed herself. More than that, there was – sadness? Sadness was in her eyes. "I'm sorry for snapping at you," she said, her voice more gentle, "but I'll be fine. Please don't press me about it."

Elimine, was it ever hard not to do just that! The fact that you admit to something was always the first step to getting you to break down and talk. Matthew wanted to have it out now – not knowing something always made his curiosity itch until he learned the secret – but Aydie's reaction to him pressing her was more than enough of a warning signal. There were just some things that you couldn't press. Aydie, he knew, was one of them. "Okay," he said as soothingly as he could. The spy in him wanted nothing more than to keep pressing, but Leila had impressed on him during their training that his rampant curiosity was going to get him in trouble. "Apology accepted. You'd better get moving – Eliwood probably wants to get going as soon as possible."

"Thank you." He figured the thanks were for more than just the tip. He leaned against the side of the wagon for a moment and watched Aydie hurry off. "Aydie, just what is going on with you?" he wondered out loud.

* * *

><p>Today had decided to be singularly unpleasant. As if her little conversation with Matthew had not been bad enough, Adelessa had been turned away by every captain on the docks. She knew that the Dread Isle had its stigma – the name alone was sign enough of that, honestly – but she hadn't expected even hardened captains to recoil from the name so forcefully. One had even made Elimine's sign – touching his palms, head, and heart shakily – before backing away.<p>

"Please," she pleaded with the last man she found, "we _need _a boat to Valor-"

"You want a boat to the Dread Isle?" The sailor stared at her in abject horror. "You're completely mad! No – there's no way I'll even talk to Cap' about that! You're better off swimming, girlie. No one will take you there, not from this town."

"From this town, perhaps," Adelessa said, grasping at a last straw of hope, "but is there anyone that you know of who _would_? Even if they're not from around here?" The sailor paused; if possible, he looked even more uneasy. "Please, we're in a hurry – if you know something…."

"You _must _be mad," the sailor grumbled, "there's no doubt of that."

"If we're mad, it's in ways that don't concern you." Adelessa jumped slightly; she hadn't heard Eliwood come up behind her. She glanced at him and saw Lyn and Hector approaching as well out of the corner of her eye. "If you have anything that could help us, I would greatly appreciate it." _They must have had as much success as I have. _"What is it that you know?"

The man's reply was only one word, full of loathing and grudging respect. "Pirates."

"What – pirates?" Lyn echoed. Adelessa didn't like the tone her voice took.

"Yeah – there's a band here that're fearless or as near to it that makes no nevermind. They'll go anywhere for a fee, maybe even to the Dread Isle. Your offer might be just mad enough for them to get interested." The man shuddered again and edged away from them. "Spirits keep the peace, but you're on your own." He retreated onto his ship and left the four of them standing on the docks. A moment of quiet passed while each thought over the only avenue left to them.

"Well, it looks like we don't have choice," Hector sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Are you _serious?_" Lyn wasn't nearly as accepting of this change of plans as the blue-haired lord. Anger and hate flared up in her voice, matching the furious set of her body and face. "You honestly think we're going to work with _pirates, _Hector? Are you mad?"

Hector gave her an arch look. It only made Lyn seethe more. "If I'm mad," he replied, "then Eliwood must be as well. You're considering it too, aren't you?"

Eliwood gave a helpless shrug. "If there's no other way, what else can we do?" he asked Lyn.

She turned to Adelessa who only just resisted the urge to put her hands up placatingly. "Lyn," she said as carefully and soothingly as she could, "there's no other course of action that we've found. I don't see a viable alternative. I'm sorry."

That wasn't good enough for Lyn. "You two as well?" she asked bitterly. "I see that I've misjudged you. You seem to be unable to see that it's folly to trust the goodwill of pirates. I'll find another way." She turned on her heel and stormed away. Adelessa's shoulders slumped and she tried not to feel too hurt and discouraged. This wasn't an unexpected reaction, but that didn't mean it wasn't an unfortunate one.

"Why is she so angry?" Hector asked, boggled. "Sure, pirates are bad, but – what _was _that?"

"Lyn's parents were killed by bandits." Adelessa rubbed her eyes; the whiplash of Lyn's reaction on top of her frustration at finding no help from any of the people to whom she'd spoken didn't help her fatigue any. The short nap she'd garnered on the ride to town hadn't nearly offset the hours she lost the night before. "Lyn has a very – straightforward way of looking at a matter. Bandits on land are the same as pirates at sea: they're both bloody lawbreakers and murderers."

"Ah." Both Hector and Eliwood were quiet for a moment while that sank in. There was a private pain on Hector's face that Adelessa wasn't sure he realized was showing. "My parents died of illness," he said finally, "but I can appreciate her feelings. It might be best to forget about the pirate plan, if only to be mindful of her."

Adelessa was touched by his unusual display of empathy. "We don't need to forget it yet," she replied. "Lyn might be able to find some other way to make the voyage, but if she doesn't… it never hurts to have extra plans in place." She didn't want to cause Lyn any more pain – really, she didn't care for pirates or bandits herself after nearly dying because of them in Sacae – but if working with pirates was the only way to get to the Dread Isle, Adelessa was willing to make that sacrifice. An aversion to pirates was not going to be the reason that they failed to rescue Lord Elbert. "We should at least try to meet this crew – if nothing else, it will give us a reference for what we can expect if we secure another crew."

"Those sorts usually hang out in taverns and the like, right?" Hector jerked a thumb at one not far from the docks. "We might as well try asking around for them in there." He didn't even wait for Eliwood and Adelessa to agree; they had to trot to catch up to his determined stride.

Hector walked into the place like he owned it; Adelessa and Eliwood entered more cautiously. Noise swept over Adelessa like rain when she entered the tavern: quiet conversations, bawdy brawlers boasting, and laughter all made up a babble that wrapped around anyone who entered the building. The light was dimmer in here than outside, but it lent a homey atmosphere instead of an intimidating one. The entire place was the warm dark brown of inviting wood rather than offstandish gray. People of all colors and countries were present in the room; Adelessa could spot several Etrurians, a couple Bernese, a clump of Ilians, and even a dark-skinned man from the Western Isles among the Lycian patrons. At the back she could see Hector talking to someone. She and Eliwood moved in unspoken agreement to make sure that he wouldn't get them in trouble.

"I'm Hector," the lord was saying when they made it through the tables and bodies in their way, "and I wanted to talk to the captain of the pirate crew."

Adelessa wanted to groan but it held back; it would have been a poor decision in the sudden hush that fell on the back corner of the room. Straightening in his chair, a gray-bearded man looked up at Hector with a grin. His hair was hidden under a tattered rag tied there, a strange contrast to the luxuriously purple jacket he wore. "Now," he drawled, "is that any way to ask for a favor?" His voice was as amused as it was gravelly. "Tell me, lad, were you raised in a barn?"

Hector bristled; before he had a chance to retort, Eliwood cut him off by grabbing his shoulder. The two traded significant looks – Hector's vexed, Eliwood's reproachful – before Hector's mouth slid over to one side in glum recognition of his error. "Oh, fine," he said to no one in particular. "All right, I'm sorry, old man. Listen, we need your help. I'm Lord Hector of Ostia – these two here are Lord Eliwood and Lady Aydie."

"You're an odd bird," the pirate chief replied, leaning back in his chair. "Are you _sure_ you're noble born? 'Cause you're not like any other blueblooded lord I've ever had the misfortune to meet." Black eyes swept over the three of them, lingering on each for a moment. "Fine. I'm Fargus, captain of the _Davros_. Now _what _do you want?"

Hector leaned forward and put his hands on the table opposite Fargus. "We want you to sail us to Valor," he replied.

"How much will you pay?" Fargus shot back immediately, leaning forward himself.

"Don't know the current rate." Hector's voice was flippant, as was the half shrug he gave. "How much are you asking?"

"Hundred thousand." Adelessa gasped despite herself at that sum. Eliwood rocked back on his feet, returning her stunned stare with one of his own. Hector said something distinctly unlordly. "Well, will you pay?" the old pirate asked once their furor had died down to mute shock.

Hector looked over at Eliwood. He waited until the redhead finally gave a mute, slightly jerky nod before he said, "We will. We don't have it with us, but we'll get it and be back here as soon as we can." Hector stood up and brushed off his hands. "Let's go, Eliwood, Aydie." Hector towed them along behind him as he made his way outside. It was much easier this time: the crowd parted to let them through.

"Where exactly are you planning to raise one hundred thousand gold, Hector?" Adelessa asked, still reeling from the figure. It was an obscene amount of money; there was certainly enough in Ostia's coffers to cover such a large fee, but it was still more than most people would ever see in their lives. She couldn't even begin to wrap her head around the sum. "Do you have a plan?"

"Yeah – I need to get back to Ostia." Hector stood outside of the tavern. Adelessa was glad for that small favor; it was hard to keep up with him when he decided to start hurrying.

"Oh – you're going to ask Lord Uther for the gold," Eliwood said.

"Don't be stupid!" Hector shook his head sharply. "I'm not going to kneel at my brother's feet for money." At their puzzled looks, he sighed and explained with, "I've got some ceremonial garb, extra armor, books – I'll pawn it off and get some gold that way."

"Wait a minute," Adelessa said. She cringed at the thought of what she was about to say; standing up to someone like Hector was not her favorite thing to do. "That's not a very good idea, Hector – selling off items like that isn't a good decision, especially if they start showing up on the market shortly after you sell them. Someone might be able to tell that something is awry and take advantage of that. We need to find a different way to raise our funds."

"Well, then, what do you suppose we do? You know we don't have nearly that much."

Adelessa was trying to think up an answer to that when a pirate popped out of the tavern. "Ahoy – you three there, hold up a minute!" The man clapped Adelessa on the shoulder and nearly sent her staggering. He had thick muscle built by rough living on the sea and rougher fighting, as evidenced by his scars. A white bandana was tied around his head, not unlike his captain's. Jaunty blue and white stripes marked him shamelessly as a seaman. When Adelessa started to protest that they needed more time, they didn't have the gold yet, he waved her words away. "You think I don't know that? You bleaters need to hush up for a second. The captain's got a message for you."

"A message?" Eliwood asked, obviously puzzled.

"All my mates in the village are going to attack you!" he said cheerfully. "If you can beat us and get to the ship, you'll get free passage to the Dread Isle." Adelessa stared at him. _Surely I misheard him. That's it, I need to get more sleep – there's no way I heard that correctly._

"For free? We won't have to pay?" Eliwood was just as baffled as Adelessa.

The pirate shrugged. "The captain's a bit off-kilter," he said by way of explanation. "Though looking at you, the fight's going to be a jolly good one. He'd rather have a bit of fun than take some gold. He'll be waiting at the docks – talk to him and you'll be the winner." He bounded off, stopping only to shout, "Smooth sailing!"

"I think he's serious," Adelessa said after a moment, completely poleaxed. She shook herself out of her daze and forced her fatigue away. They needed a tactician, not a dazed and startled girl. "Eliwood, go gather the others – get them to meet us here at the tavern." Looking across the C-shaped harbor with her spyglass, she could see that the pirates were at the far end of it near an especially large ship. A blockade of them ambled around at the center of the pier; going that way would only end in a messy fight. Especially, she decided, since there were enemy mages. One even wore the black robe of a shaman.

"Oh, Lyn – nice timing." Adelessa looked over her shoulder when she heard Hector speak. He was waving at Lyn. "We need your help fighting these pirates. Figured you wouldn't mind."

"We're not fighting them for real, just as a test," Adelessa tried to explain. She stopped, collected herself, and restarted. "We'll be given passage if we can make it to their leader, but we'll need to fight our way to him through the town before we'll be able to speak with him." Eliwood had returned by then with the rest of the group. "While the shortest route is along the docks, I don't want to risk taking that path – there are lots of pirates and I don't think it's a terribly intelligent decision to try taking on what could be his best fighters." Adelessa wished that she had been awake when they rode into town; she could have had a better idea of the layout of the streets had she not been sleeping. _Another reason not to sleep that poorly, _she reminded herself. "Does anyone have my maps?" she asked. Someone passed one to her; she thanked Matthew for his help and unrolled the map of Badon on top of a short stone fence.

After a moment of careful consideration, she traced her finger along a series of streets heading north. "This isn't like any other fights we've had before. We're not trying to defeat the enemy. Actually, if you can avoid it, I don't want any deaths in this fight. Killing his crew might not warm Fargus to us. I want us to stick together and move through the streets until we get to the northern part of town. There's a trail through the woods up there. We can take that to get to the farthest part of the docks." She looked up at the group around her. "We need to move as quickly as possible. I don't think the pirates will make it too hard to get through, but I don't want to underestimate them. Just keep your eyes open and shout if you see anyone."

The group stayed together in one large clump as they traveled through the town. They didn't spot any pirates while they passed between the houses, for which Adelessa was both terrible glad and rather nervous. At least she could keep track of and deal with an enemy she could see. Waiting for someone to pop out at her _never_ended well.

Perhaps that was why she nearly jumped out of her skin when someone touched her shoulder. "Pardon me! Oh, I'm sorry – I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, no – it's fine. Can I help you?" The man in front of her had deep violet hair and wide-set, dreaming eyes of the same shade. A monocle rested in front of one of them. A book in a language Adelessa couldn't read rested in the crook of his elbow. His robes were dark and heavy, cut like a scholar's but almost in the colors of a shaman- _He's a dark mage! _she realized.

"Yes, actually. I was speaking with an old sailor a short while ago. He told me that you're planning to travel to Valor. Is that so?" Adelessa nodded mutely. "Truly? That's why you're playing tag with these pirates?" She nodded again, still reeling from the shock of finding a dark mage here. "May I join you – that wouldn't be bothersome, would it? My name is Canas. I'm a scholar of sorts. I've been seeking passage to Valor for quite some time, but I haven't found anyone who would take me. I can use elder magic – _dark_, if you insist on calling it such – so I can assist you in combat."

Adelessa held up her hands to get him to slow down. He fell silent. "You're a dark mage?" she clarified. He nodded. "And you're willing to help us?" He nodded again and then tilted his head at her. "Is something wrong?" she asked, barely aware of Matthew, Rebecca, and Lyn edging closer at the sight of her talking to a stranger.

"I was just wondering if you realized that you've magic in you," Canas said. He took off his monocle, cleaned it briskly with his sleeve, and replaced it over his eye.

"I know my necklace is charmed, if that's what you mean." Adelessa wasn't sure what to think of this man. _He doesn't_ seem _so bad, but then again dark mages rarely do are at first._

"If you weren't aware of that, I would be appalled. No, I mean underneath it. You've magic running all through you." He squinted at her and Adelessa leaned back, vastly uncomfortable and unnerved by his scrutiny.

"As much as I'd love to indulge you," she said quickly, "I have to keep moving."

"Oh, yes! The game with the pirates." Her reminder seemed to bring Canas out of his studious fugue. He adjusted his monocle and coughed into his hand, embarrassed. "I apologize. It's just that I've never quite seen something like that before- oh, bother, I'm doing it again. Direct me as you'd like." He blinked at her confusion. "You are the tactician, correct? You have the spyglass of one – was I mistaken?"

"No, you're correct." Adelessa was shocked by his easy acceptance of her being a female and a tactician. It was a pleasant change of pace from the normal skepticism she faced. "For now I'd like you by the other magic-users. They're in the middle – see the monk with blonde hair and the other mage with purple?" Canas walked off without answering; Adelessa resisted the urge to grumble under her breath. _Absent-minded mages will be the death of me, _she thought, a new level of appreciation for the saying mixing with the fondness she felt for her foster father.

After running into the shaman – Canas had introduced himself to the other magic-users as one, which didn't ease her concerns at having him around – very little happened on their way to the path. A couple of stray pirates had tried to level attacks on them, but the individual assaults had been almost pathetically easy to repel. They defeated each without killing them and Adelessa was glad that she had ordered for them to try leaving each alive. Blows to stun and render an opponent unconscious weren't that different from killing strikes for many; Kent and Sain were particularly adept and had downed the pirates with nothing worse than a broken lance.

The first part of the group – lightly-armored fighters like Lyn and Eliwood – had just entered the woods outside of the town when Oswin shouted a warning from the rear. "Horsemen incoming!" Adelessa whirled around. _Where did they come from? _There were three fighters and what looked like a healer. Before she could give any orders, the leader fell upon Hector with a vicious slash of his sword. The lord staggered and swung his axe at the man, but the sloppy strike missed widely. Adelessa saw the blossom of bright red on his armor and her heart stopped for a moment.

"Lord Eliwood of Pherae!" the leading knight called, raising his bloody sword. "You don't yet know to fear the Black Fang. Start grieving, for I will teach you that fear." Lowering it to a ready position, the horseman laughed; it was a mean sound. "You're about to die – scream if you must." The three horsemen burst into motion again, launching attacks, while the troubadour following them surrounded the three in a pale blue glow.

Then there was frantic movement as Sain reached down and grabbed her arm, slinging her into the saddle behind him. The loose formation that the group had made while traveling shattered apart: everyone was mixed with everyone else with melee, ranged, and support units scattered. Canas and Dorcas were near Sain as he stopped to judge the situation.

She was just close enough to the shaman to hear him murmuring something under his breath while he flipped through pages in the book he held. Her gut lurched when she saw a ball of darkness spawning in front of him, eerie violet light laced throughout the hazy sphere. Adelessa knew instantly that it was the Flux hex, a spell that twisted space and warped all it touched. Sain yelped, "Hey, easy!" when she shoved herself into his back to get away from Canas' magic. Only when the sphere had disappeared did she take a breath and try to relax.

It reappeared just before the enemy troubadour. Any doubt that it was dangerous disappeared when it floated into her chest. Adelessa, watching it, had to fight away heaves when she saw how the woman's chest _twisted _in a way that nothing in the world should be able to. It was only for an instant before it snapped back to its proper form, but Adelessa couldn't forget how the woman's body warped. The troubadour slid out of the saddle and died without being able to utter a single sound. The ball of flux vanished as soon as she hit the ground.

If she looked at what just happened for a second longer Adelessa was going to be sick. Gulping away nausea, she forced herself to check up on the rest of the group. Oswin and Matthew stood over their fallen lord: both were fighting desperately to keep a cavalier at bay. Eliwood and several others were down on the ground, but by how they were moving it seemed like they had just fallen in the initial rush. Lyn and Guy threw themselves into the fray against the second cavalier while he was being distracted by Lowen. The leader was locked in a fight against Kent and Marcus, both of them aided by streams of light that originated from Lucius' hands. Raven lurked behind Lucius, his broadsword at the ready. Priscilla had ended up by them; the enemy cavaliers blocked her from reaching Hector.

A touch on her leg made her look _carefully_ down. Rebecca had made her way over to them. "Are you okay, Aydie?" she asked. Adelessa could only imagine that her color looked _terrible_.

"I'll be fine," she reassured the girl. Her stomach was still rebelling against her – it had decided that it would try to escape her entirely by leaping in her gut instead of making her simply feel nauseous – and she had to take a deep breath in through her nose. "Try to take shots if you have clear ones. I don't want anyone to be hit by friendly fire."

One of the fights ended when Oswin's lance brutally tripped up the horse of the cavalier pestering him. The horse fell on the ground with a scream; Matthew was all over the rider in an instant, slitting his throat with a quick slash of his knife. "Take me to them," Adelessa ordered Sain. He gave her a look out of the corner of his eye; she returned it with a steady stare. Spurring his horse forward, he warded off a blow from the other cavalier and stopped next to the Ostians so Adelessa could join them. Serra was already kneeling over the lord's prone form, her staff streaming blue light into the wound.

"Did any of you see the cart that hit me?" Hector croaked. Each of them let out a sigh of relief; if he was making cracks like that, he was just fine.

"There isn't any more than kindling left of it now," Matthew replied cheerfully. The relief on his face was bare and almost painful to see; Adelessa hadn't realized just how close the spy and the lord were. After something like this, she was beginning to see that they were both deeply fond of the other. Matthew himself had said before that he was no brawler and yet he had thrown himself into this fight without a second thought to protect Hector while he was down. It was nice to see, even if she did feel even slightly jealous. She killed that feeling quickly.

When Matthew pointed behind her, Adelessa looked over her shoulder. He'd been speaking in metaphor, she realized: the leader of the group was a crumpled heap on the ground that Bartre nudged with his foot. Florina was on her pegasus next to him, trying to shake blood off of her lance. From the wound, she must have struck him from behind in a dive. The other cavalier was similarly disposed, though his armor was smoldering with one last tongue of flame. Adelessa took a deep breath, grimaced at the smell of hot metal and burned flesh, and asked, "Is everyone alright?" Her anxiety eased a bit when she got the answer back: everyone was fine.

_I'll have to deal with the implications of being attacked by the Black Fang here later,_ she thought, _but that can wait until we're done here. _"Oswin, Marcus, continue to keep a watch behind us," she ordered. "Hector, take it easy for a bit – Serra, watch him to make sure he's completely healed before you let him do anything strenuous." Adelessa ignored his complaint. "We have to keep going. If I'm right, we should be able to pass the pirates and get to Fargus without any combat if we follow this path."

"Good," Sain grumbled. "I've just about had enough combat."

"You can never have too much fighting," Hector replied, thumping himself on the chest.

When he winced, Matthew gave him a wry look. "I think you found that you can, my lord." A chuckle rolled through the group at that. Hector spluttered protests of "that wasn't a fair hit" and "a sucker-strike doesn't count as fighting" while they started down the path. Adelessa sent Florina up in the air to watch for any pirates who might have been waiting in their path.

The path let out on the far side of the town. Florina hadn't signaled the presence of any pirates and none had been hiding out of sight. Adelessa began to wonder if Fargus had deliberately left the trail open and, if so, what that meant. It wasn't worth wasting too much energy on – that was the way it was, intended or not, and she could ask him about it later – especially since she could see him with the help of her spyglass. There was an open path to the piers and a straight shot to him after that if she could sneak around the shop to their side. "Hector, are you feeling up for a run?" He nodded. "Alright – Hector, Eliwood, Lyn, I want you to follow me. We're going to make a run for Fargus. You'll have to sneak behind the shop with me before we sprint over there, though."

"We'll be right behind you," Lyn told her; Eliwood nodded his agreement.

"Follow me, then." Adelessa waited until she felt fairly certain that no pirates were going to catch sight of them. She darted from the woods and plastered herself against the wall of the shop, next to a window. A boy looked out at the four of them, startled, before he gave them a wink and a thumb's-up. "Best of luck," he whispered. "I'll see if I can't distract the ones out front for you." She heard footsteps fade away from the window and the same voice call out front. "Hey, guys – I need some help moving stuff back here. Think you could give me a hand?"

_I guess these pirates have made nice with the locals. _The affectionate grumbles from the pirates – wow, but could they swear – heckled the boy and Adelessa leaned around the corner. All of the ones outside had disappeared; she made a note to thank the boy inside and buy supplies here. "Ready?" she asked the nobles behind her. When they nodded, she whispered, "Here we go."

Her feet flew under her. She was off like a shot, an arrow launched from a bow, with Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn hot on her heels. She heard whooping cheers from the woods and startled exclamations of the pirates inside the store. Laughing in response, Adelessa let a spurt of competitive spirit make her race against Lyn. When they hit the decks, she scrabbled on the slick wood for a second before regaining her feet.

The four of them ended up in a heap when Hector tripped over his own foot. He crashed into Eliwood, who careened forward and toppled Lyn. She tried to hang on to Adelessa for balance and she went sprawling. Looking up, she saw Fargus staring down at them. "We made it!" she huffed at him.

The captain stared at them for a moment longer, a smile wide on his face. He began to chuckle, then chortle, and finally to guffaw. It lasted long enough for the four of them to get back to their feet. "You whelps are something else!" he laughed, clapping each of them on the shoulder in turn. "I'm a man of the sea – you have a ship to Valor, kids!" He stopped when he reached Lyn, appraising her briefly. "Are my old eyes lying to me?" he asked. "This beauty is with you? Oh, it's my lucky day!" He stalked to the end of the dock and hollered loudly enough that it would be a wonder if anyone _didn't _hear him. "Mooncalves – come on over to the ship. We'll be setting sail soon for Valor!"

"Listen," Hector was saying lowly to Lyn, "I know you don't like this, but we don't have any other choice."

"I know that!" she hissed back. "I haven't said anything, have I?"

"Hector, Lyn," Adelessa interrupted quietly, "I don't think now is the time." The two followed her gaze to where Eliwood stood at the end of the dock, staring at the horizon. He looked awfully forlorn. She left the two of them and touched the redhead on the elbow, gently, to announce her presence. "We'll bring him back."

"I hope so." He looked out over the water. "I really do."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**I don't know what happened with this chapter. I really don't. Here, have a super-long chapter for a chapter that isn't that hard or long in-game? _))) Seriously, this one ran away from me.

Fun story – I legitimately creeped myself out a bit while writing the dark magic part. I had to walk away from my keyboard, drink some water, and remind myself that it's just a story. BLEH. *shudder* Curse my vivid imagination!

Thanks to my wonderful beta, **psychoyoshi79**, for all of his help and support and listening to my rambles. You guys, if not for him, there would have been typos all over the place! And a tip of my hat to my reviewers - **Sparks101, Solyeuse, Tom-Ato13, Drachegirl14, patattack, MilleniaMaster, Sethera, AquaticSilver,** and **angelbeets**! You guys have stuck with me for so long. I'm so grateful for all of your kind words!

I'll see you next week! ^_))) Have a good week, guys!


	26. Pirate Ship

Pirate Ship

"_How hard is it to find someone on a ship?" I said. "It can't be _that _hard," I said. When am I gonna learn that it's not that easy with her?_ Matthew dragged a hand through his hair and scowled at the door in front of him. _I _know _that Aydie can hide better than anyone else in this bunch._ He raised his hand and knocked on the door. He waited for a minute for a response; when none came, he knocked harder. _Not in the galley, not in the meeting room, not in _her _room, Rebecca isn't up yet-_

"Oy!" One of the crewmen – _Jake,_he remembered after a moment's thought – leaned around the corner. "Are you looking for the green girl – Aydie?"

"Yes, actually," Matthew answered. If you can't do something on your own, getting help isn't a crime! "Do you know where she is? I've got news for her."

"Your girl's lubberly. She's up on deck. Dart's taking care of her."

"Taking care of her?" Years of being boggled by antics of other spies helped him keep his face from showing his confusion, but this warranted further questioning. If something had happened, it would be good to know.

"You'll find out when you get up there – just be nice to the poor thing. Sweet as sunrise, she is. Not as sweet as my Anna, though! Why, just the other day when we left port…." If you let him, Jake would babble about his lover for hours at a time. The group made the mistake of getting him started at dinner one night. They learned quickly why the rest of the crew got up and fled. Matthew didn't feel like sitting through another one of Jake's odes to his sweetheart; making a quick excuse, he bolted for the stairs that led up to the deck.

The pirate's mention of Anna made Matthew think of Leila. He missed her. She was – well, she meant a lot to him. It was hard to say how much. Both of them were spies on missions, which wasn't real helpful when it came to having a relationship. They couldn't even write letters to each other. It would blow their cover _if _the letters even got to them. It was, well, a bit lonely. Maybe Matthew could convince her to take a position in counter-intelligence with him back at Ostia. It'd be less dangerous and they could actually spend time together for more than just a few fleeting hours. Yeah. He'd talk to her about it.

When he got on deck, he remembered that he still wasn't comfortable with being on a ship. It didn't take him long to get over the rolling beneath his feet – his lord took a whole day to get used to it and Matthew hadn't laughed that hard in a long time – but there was more to it than that. Matthew was a city boy, through and through, and he never felt good about having this much open space around him. The sailors swinging through the rigging above him made him flinch for cover every time a shadow fell on him. Old habits die hard, especially when they were ones that kept you alive. He found the close quarters below decks more familiar and more comfortable.

When he rounded the corner, Matthew figured he didn't have it so bad. If he was uncomfortable, Aydie was flat-out _miserable_. Her green over-tunic was draped over a barrel behind her and Dart held back her hair while she leaned over the railing. Her skin was chalky and pale with a strong hint of green. "_Lubberly" means "seasick." Good to know. _He winced when she heaved and leaned further over the side. She stood there for a long minute, stock still.

"You think you're about done chumming?" Dart asked gently, rubbing small circles on her back. He handed her a cup when she leaned back slowly. Matthew walked up while she was drinking it. Dart gave him a jaunty wave after he let go of Aydie's hair. She slumped against the railing and rested her head against it, the very portrait of exhaustion. Matthew couldn't help the sudden surge of sympathy he felt for the poor girl: she must have been hiding it well if he didn't know about her seasickness until the very end of their voyage.

"Suffering in silence, huh?" Aydie took a long minute to open her eyes and look up at him. He was glad to see that they weren't glassy: however sick she was, Aydie was still functioning. She took a sip of water and waved weakly to Dart when he bounded off to do Elimine only knows what. "Does anyone know you're seasick?"

"E_li_-" Her voice squeaked up a whole octave higher than usual. Aydie pulled a face, took a longer sip of water, and tried again. "Eliwood knows," she said. Her voice was raw. Sitting down next to her, Matthew could see that she was shaking, sweaty, and her skin was pink from the sun. "Rebecca and Lyn do. And Erk."

_Erk? Why would he have to know? _That didn't make sense. Matthew handed over her over-tunic when she reached for it. "And the rest of us don't need to know – yeah, yeah, I know your song and dance," he replied. "Don't give me that look. You did the same thing when you were with Lyndis' Legion." It was hard seeing her so worn down. She didn't look like herself at all.

Aydie sighed and wrapped her over-tunic around herself. She gave Matthew a look of pure thanks when he tugged it tighter around her. She closed her eyes and was quiet; Matthew got halfway to his feet to let her rest or get Dart to put her in her room. "Didn't realize it was a big deal." There was more than just the tiredness of being sick in her voice. That same sadness that he saw when they were in Badon was back. "Sorry."

"Hey, just make sure you have some strength left in you for when we get to the Dread Isle," he replied. Seeing her this listless was strange. Deep in thought, sure – but slack like this? You never caught Aydie in such a state. "We'll be arriving by dinnertime."

That brought the most life to her face that he'd seen yet. "Truly? That's a relief." She smiled wearily. "It will be nice to be done with sailing for a while."

"I figured," Matthew replied. Maybe a joke would make her smile a little more: seeing the normally cheerful tactician this lifeless was hard. "You and the sea don't look like you get along very well – too bad you can't deal with it like you do the rest of us." That even got a chuckle.

"Say, Matthew?" Matthew looked over at her to see that her eyes had opened again. She opened her mouth to ask something, paused, and shut it. "No, never mind. Let me know if anything happens, alright?" _I wonder if she knows that she huddles into her tunic when she's trying to hide something. Elimine bless but you're the worst liar I have ever known._

"Sure," he replied. He'd dropped back to his knees when she had started talking; with the obvious end to the conversation, he got to his feet. "Did you want help getting below deck?"

Aydie shook her head. "No," she replied emphatically. "That makes it worse. Just let Dart know that I should get out of the sun before too long. Thank you." She eased back against a crate and closed her eyes. By the time Matthew walked away, she was dozing.

Right about now Matthew wished that he had the foresight to watch where Dart went off to. Rattling around on deck any longer than necessary wasn't something he particularly wanted to do, even if he could scrounge up some good gossip that way. After all, what good spy would pass up the opportunity to eavesdrop and get information? _Not a one,_ he thought, _but most don't have the sea tossing them around while they try to do it._

As important as he knew helping Eliwood was to his lord, Matthew couldn't wait to go back to Ostia. As soon as they found Lord Elbert and got him back, this whole misadventure could be done. Oh, sure, there was more to it than just that – even if he didn't know the exact details, Matthew could tell that more than just a simple coup d'état was brewing here – but that could be dealt with in the comfort of the keep. Who knew? Maybe Hector could suggest Aydie to be an adviser for Lord Uther.

"Eliwood!" _Speaking of my lord…. _Matthew winced when he heard the lord bellowing. If Hector possessed any scrap of tact, the spy had never seen it. While normally not a problem – and, if anything, right at home with the yelling that the pirates did – with Aydie unwell and possibly sleeping… well, running around and yelling didn't sound like a very good idea.

"If you're looking for Eliwood, you'll have to go to the front. He's talking to the captain." That was Lyn; Matthew recognized her voice right away.

"Oh." There was a beat of silence. "I guess I don't need to bother him that much." An awkward moment of silence yawned between the two. Matthew wondered why Hector didn't just move on and carry out his business. Apparently Lyn had the same question.

"Do you need something?" she asked.

"I'd like you to stop pouting." _My lord, you are the greatest lout in all of Lycia._ "This pirate ship is the only way for us to get to the Dread Isle." _How Lord Uther handles you is beyond me. _"I thought you understood that." _I hope he has children soon so you won't ever have to inherit the throne. _"Was I wrong?" Matthew dragged his hand down his face. Hector was going to be the death of him.

Lyn was not happy with what Hector said. "How I feel or what I think about this is none of your business!"

"These pirates don't seem so bad." _My lord, do you not know when to stop digging your own grave?_ "Eliwood told me about your parents-" _No, please, continue putting your foot in your mouth. _Matthew winced. He couldn't even say how glad he was that they didn't know he was here. He could slink away without being noticed, so he did.

As painfully awkward as it was, Matthew understood why his lord was bringing up the subject of Lyn's parents. The previous Marquess Ostia, Hector's father, and his wife had died less than two years ago when a pox had swept through the capital. Lord Uther and Hector had both been away at the time attending classes. Hector had been absolutely devastated. It had taken the combined efforts of Eliwood, Matthew, and Oswin to keep the young man going. If nothing else, Hector could empathize with Lyn's loss.

Matthew made his way toward the front of the ship. If Fargus was up there, maybe Dart would be, too. It was worth a shot, at least. As he got close, he heard the pirate captain say, "I'm sure they thought you mad! It's the Dread Isle, of all places. If not for good reason, we wouldn't want to go there either." Matthew looked to the horizon – there, not so far away, was the fog-veiled island. His mind brought up the stories about the place that he'd heard as a kid. Indulging in remembering them for a moment, he stared at Valor.

"And yet you've given us free passage." Eliwood was curious; his voice openly reflected that. Matthew rounded the corner and stepped up next to the lord. He got a nod in greeting. "Why?"

"Listen – men are strange critters, especially ones like me and my crew. We can't resist a challenge." Fargus waved a hand out at the sea. "Something appears in the horizon and we have to up and set sail. Most of the time we get what we wanted – sometimes we don't." He leaned against the railing, looking them over. "I haven't had a good challenge in donkey's years. And then you mooncalves appear – three odd birds that call themselves nobles following a tactician girl with crew motlier than my own – and look to get to the Dread Isle. You've got spark – your courage is something else, you know that? You might just be the ones to survive Valor. I wanted to be there to see it."

"We won't disappoint you," Eliwood promised. "We _will _return."

"Alright, laddie, alright. I believe you. We'll weigh anchor and wait for you." Fargus chuckled and shook his head at the redhead. "Remind your little green girl to light a signal fire when you want to return. We'll pick you up when we see it."

Eliwood started to respond, but he was cut off by a shout of "Captain!" Dart didn't care that he interrupted Eliwood; he ran right up to Fargus. The sailor had an air of urgency around him. "There's a dory adrift to port and it looks like there's someone aboard. What're your orders?"

"Huh." Fargus frowned. "Bring 'em aboard." Dart ran off. "It looks like we've got a visitor. It's odd, finding a boat adrift near here…."

"Why's that?" Matthew asked.

"The currents in this area mean that anything drifting must've come from the Dread Isle."

Goosebumps crawled up Matthew's arms. _Aydie asked me to let her know if anything happened – looks like she only gets a few minutes of sleep. _He ran back to the other side of the ship, dodging around the suddenly agitated crew. Aydie was right where he left her, wrapped up in her over-tunic and dozing. "Aydie," he said quickly, "something's come up."

She blinked awake and squinted at him, eyes bleary with fatigue. "What?" Really, it sounded more like "whuh," but Matthew had plenty of practice translating from Hector's groggy mumblings when he first woke up. "What's going on?" That was clearer.

"We're bringing a dory up," Matthew said. He wished he knew what a dory was; Matthew was a landsman through and through. "It sounds like there's someone in it. I thought you would want to know."

"Thank you," she said. Aydie started to try to get to her feet. Her over-tunic fouled her up and she had to have Matthew help her to her feet. "I'd like to go see who it is. They might have news or information about the Dread Isle." Matthew didn't want to let her go – really, when you're pale and clammy like she was, you should lie down and rest – but he knew better. Aydie wasn't going to relax until she knew exactly what was going on. It was a good thing to have in a tactician, but a bad one to have in a sick friend. Leaving her to her own devices wasn't a good idea; Matthew helped her over to where a cluster of people waited for the dory – "_dory" means "little scrap of a boat," good to know_– to be pulled up onto the deck.

At least Hector hadn't alienated Lyn, however the rest of their conversation went. They were standing next to Eliwood. Matthew joined them. Aydie carefully pulled away from him and tugged her over-tunic so it laid flat. She straightened her shoulders and forced herself to smooth away her slump. The effect was drastic: if he didn't know better, Matthew would have thought that she was feeling perfectly fine. "Do we know who's on the dory?" she asked. Her voice was rough, but she kept it from creaking like it had before. _I wonder how many times she's fooled people with that? _Matthew wondered. It wasn't a reassuring thought.

"Not yet," Lyn answered, "but Dart's bringing it on board now."

"Hey!" The pirate in question popped his head up and waved until he had Lyn's attention. "Where am I supposed to grab her?" Matthew tuned out Lyn's instructions to the pirate and Hector's goading and teasing. Instead he kept his eye on Aydie, who was walking carefully over to Lyn, and the crowd that was forming. Several of the more curious members of their group had perked up to see what the fuss was about: Rebecca, Wil, Canas, Sain, and Erk were all toward the front of the crowd. Rebecca was pointedly ignoring Wil despite his attempts to catch her attention and instead made small talk with Sain. Erk and Canas were speaking of anima magic, from what he could tell, though both kept an eye on the proceedings.

"Ninian!" Lyn and Aydie spoke at the same time. Lyn was the one whose voice won out in the end. "Ninian, wake up!" Eliwood stared in surprise; Hector leaned over and they spoke quietly for a moment. Matthew heard them talking about how Eliwood had originally met Lyn and how Ninian was a part of that. He was more focused on how Aydie was helping the blue-haired girl sit up. "Ninian, can you hear me?" Red eyes stared back at Lyn and the swordswoman reached forward to take one of her hands. "Are you hurt? Why were you on that boat? Where's your brother? Why isn't he with you? Why are you near Valor?"

Something about the absent, blank stare that Ninian had made Matthew shudder. _The lights are on but nobody's home, _he thought. It was not something he wanted to think again. The look of deep sorrow and – it wasn't quite sympathy, it was something more than that – that was in Aydie's was no better. "Lyn, you're going to overwhelm her," the brunette said gently. "She's not going to be able to answer any of your questions right now. She looks like she's in shock – you'll need to wait for her to recover."

"Captain!" One of the crew members was shouting from up in the rigging. "There're ships to the northwest! Looks like other pirates!"

"What? They actually dare to sail against Captain Fargus and the _Davros_?" The man grinned fiercely. Matthew could see in the pirate chief the same excitement that Hector had before a fight. "They must be off their keels!" Murmurs from the other pirates washed around him; none of the crew members were familiar with the flag the other ships were flying. "The seas around Lycia belong to us – whoever they might be, they're in our waters!" Fargus turned to where Lyn was helping both Ninian and Aydie to their feet. "We can't waste time on you whelps – get yourselves below deck and watch your own hides!" Aydie agreed with him and they started away.

Matthew was halfway to the stairs when he heard a strange whistling noise. Turning around, he had time to grab Aydie and steady her by holding onto her shoulders – a cannonball hurtled through the air. It hit with a tremendous crash: water and splintered wood flew everywhere. Aydie clung to his arms with fear-fueled strength. It had missed the deck, but he could see by the debris in the water that it had hit something else lower down. "Captain! They breached the hull – we're taking on water!" Aydie looked like she was going to be sick again; her face was stark white and she stared at Matthew with wide, scared eyes. _Of course she's afraid of this – remember? She doesn't like not having solid ground underneath her feet, you know that! _"We need all hands belowdecks or we'll sink!"

Matthew listened to Fargus with only a fraction of his attention. He needed to keep Aydie from falling apart. With a fight on the way, there was no way they could keep her out of it. "Aydie, calm down," he said quietly and quickly. When that didn't have any effect – what, did you really think that would work – he gave her a gentle shake. "We're going to be just fine. They've got it under control – they said that if they _didn't_ get help that the ship will sink." There was no use trying to tell her just to calm down: Aydie needed facts and logic. She'd been furious and terrified at the same time before and had enough presence of mind to stop him dead in his tracks. He had to play to that. "They'll need us to fight. _We _need you to lead us."

Something changed in her eyes: her fear was there, but Matthew could see that she was fighting it. "You need me?" she asked. Her voice was clipped, tight, and rough, but she was in control.

"Yes," he replied firmly. "You're the one who figures out the tactics and pulls us through every time. None of us know how to fight on a ship. We _need _you to hold yourself together and make it so that the crew can fix up that hole."

Aydie's eyes looked deep into his for a moment. The clouds of fear that had been in them were gone now. Apparently she found what she wanted; they hardened and the anxious, scared girl turned into the tactician that had seen them through so many tight spots. "Fargus!" she yelled; Matthew let go of her so she could face the captain. "We'll fight off any who get close to the ship. We can't fix the ship – only you and your men can. They shouldn't keep lobbing shells – if they wanted to sink us quickly, we'd be on the bottom of the sea right now. They must want something on the ship. Rebecca, I want you to get below and get Oswin, Serra, Florina, Kent, Canas, Raven, and Lucius. I don't have enough room for any more people up here than that." The archer vanished down the stairs.

Matthew was always slightly amazed when it came time for a battle to start. Aydie went from being a quiet, almost subservient person who was gentle and helpful to a steel-boned, determined young woman who would strike at weaknesses and commanded those around her. And, surprisingly, both suited her well.

"I'll leave the deck to you," Fargus said. He started to run for the stairs as well. "We'll be back up once we've fixed the damage. Don't let them get below!" And then he was gone. Rebecca popped out of the stairway once Fargus went through, leading the first few fighters Aydie had asked for.

"Lyn, get Ninian somewhere safe," Aydie ordered as the newcomers flocked around her. Lyn wormed her way through the crowd, gently leading the dazed girl into the closest storeroom. Matthew took a moment to look around before Aydie started laying out a plan; she was observing the closest ship through the spyglass she kept at her hip. The other pirates were much closer now, easily visible even without the spyglass. The _Davros _had been slowed considerable by her wound; she limped along in the water. It looked like two of the ships were going to pull up on either side of her. Glancing at the tactician, he found himself mirroring her grim expression. This wasn't going to be easy. Then again, when was it ever?

"Watch out," Aydie started once everyone had assembled. "They have a fair amount of shamans and swordfighters both. They've boarding planks ready. They'll be on us soon. I'll want a lance-wielder at each boarding point to stave off the melee fighters. Florina, I don't want you on deck doing that – try to throw javelins at the shamans from the air. Get out of there if there are any archers. I don't want any heroics – we just have to hold the line until Fargus can get back up here." Her voice was crisp and clear as she listed each order. Matthew couldn't tell if she was worried or not: in times like these, she was near impossible to read. "Ranged units, pair up with a melee fighter – Oswin, Sain, Kent, I'll want you to be my main defenders. Raven, Eliwood, and Lyn can stand ready to substitute for you if you get injured. Everyone else, stay on the main part of the deck. I'm going up to the aftcastle to get a better view – I'll make sure you can still hear me."

Matthew snapped his head back to look at Aydie when her eyes locked on him. "Matthew, I'd like you to come with me," she said. He realized that this wasn't an order. "I know you'd likely rather prefer to stay with Hector to protect him should it be necessary, but you tend to spot things that I miss. I could use an extra set of eyes." It took a lot for her to ask for that help; Matthew could see just how much she was fighting against her pride, even when she was being quiet enough that none of the others could hear her. "I'm not at my best after being sick for this long. It's entirely possible that I could miss something." She almost looked like she wanted to say something further; when she didn't, he spoke up.

"Sure – I'll keep an eye out for you. More than happy to, really." The reply made Aydie's shoulders sag with relief. For a second he almost wondered if she was going to hug him – she looked nearly beside herself – but she only smiled. _Serra throws herself at people, not Aydie,_ he reminded himself. _Aydie likes her personal space too much to invade someone else's._

"Take your positions," Aydie was saying; Matthew stopped thinking about Serra's obnoxious habits and paid attention to her. "Don't be afraid to say something if you're injured. I'd like someone to stay with Serra to protect her – I'll let you figure that one out. I'll be up there-" and she pointed to the railing behind them that overlooked the rest of the deck "-watching the fight. I can better direct you from up there. Be careful and be safe – hopefully Fargus and his men will fix the leak quickly so we can finish this fight faster." With that, she motioned for Matthew to follow her and headed for the stairs.

Matthew had just stepped off the last stair and Adelessa was hurrying to the wooden rail when the boarding planks dropped to the ship's deck. She staggered, turned, and clutched Matthew's shoulder when the boat heaved under them. On deck, Oswin, Kent, and Sain were already moving to block off the boards: two to port, one to starboard. Florina took to the air and passed just inches over their heads. Aydie ducked and clapped a hand over her mouth; the sudden, jerky motion must not have agreed with her. Matthew held on to the back of her tunic while she swayed, praying that she wouldn't pitch over or get sick. The episode passed in a few seconds and she stood up again, eyes moving quickly as she summed up the fight. Matthew joined her.

Luckily they hadn't missed much. Aydie had set them up well. Each plank was blocked by one of their people. Kent and Wil were at the closer of the two port planks. _Both are moving quickly,_ Matthew noted_, and neither are injured. Lyn is standing by in case Kent needs help. _He saw that the situation was the same with Sain, Rebecca, and Eliwood further down that side and Oswin, Lucius, and Raven to starboard. Hector, Erk, and Canas were in the middle of the deck with Serra. It took him a minute to find Florina, but that was because she was flying around on the starboard side of the ship, throwing javelins at the shamans that were on that ship. Lucius helped her by casting spell after spell of white light.

Aydie held up a finger for quiet and listened intently for a moment. What she was listening to became obvious after a moment. An unfamiliar voice carried over the sound of the fights: "... the blue-haired girl. We only want her. Kill the rest." They exchanged a significant look; whoever was leading this assault wanted Ninian. At least now they knew what the reason for the fight was. Matthew looked over the fights in progress again, looking for anything strange.

"Matthew, do you have any idea how many enemies are on each ship?"

Aydie's question refocused his attention: instead of looking at everything and nothing in particular, he peered at the ship to port. "About a dozen to port," he guessed, turning to the other side, "and maybe six shamans left to starboard." The information wasn't that helpful for him; however many enemies there were didn't matter when you were fighting the ones in front of you. _That's why Aydie's the tactician, _he thought. "Did you see where the third ship went?"

"What? Oh, spirits, blast it all!" She unhooked her spyglass from her belt again and looked out to the northwest. She had to stop and put it down when a larger wave rocked the ship; when Matthew looked, he saw that her knuckles were white from clutching the spyglass and railing. There were a few seconds where she looked like she was about to be sick again and Matthew half-reached to support her. _Not now,_ he encouraged her. _You don't have time to be sick._ It was a relief to see her swallow a few times and the color return to her face. She stared at the horizon for a few seconds longer – _note: Aydie combats her illness this way _– before she turned back to the deck again.

Matthew wasn't sure what it was that she saw that made her so pleased. It looked exactly the same as it had before, only Florina was on deck with Serra by Sain. The three boarding planks still had enemies on them, those three points still had plenty of fighting, and reinforcements were coming up to the decks of the two ships. _Maybe she's happy that things haven't changed – who even knows? _It seemed logical enough.

A shadow on the deck caught his eye; the distinctive shape of wings had him looking up in the sky. He didn't bother with shouting: you usually don't want to make a whole lot of noise when you're a spy or a thief and trouble pops up. Grabbing Aydie, he dragged her to the deck and rolled with her. A lance bit into the wood just behind them, gouging splinters out of it. Aydie yelped and ungracefully tried to get back to her feet. Matthew sprung back up his, knife out – _for all the good that it will do you against pegasus knights, Elimine bless _– and ready for a fight.

"Archers!" Aydie's voice was pitched _just right _to cut through the general sound of battle. Matthew glanced over his shoulder; she was leaned half over the railing with her hands cupped around her mouth. "Pegasi above the aftcastle, up high-" Matthew stopped her by grabbing the back of her tunic and yanking her to one side when another pegasus knight made a pass.

"You know," he said as he pulled her toward the stairs, "orders can wait until _after _you're out of harm's way!" He let go of her tunic when she started running with him instead of just being dragged along.

"They needed to know!" she replied. They clattered halfway down the stairs before the third pegasus knight swooped to strike at him. Matthew put his many years of running through cities and getting in scuffles to good use; he rolled right over the banister, clung to it for a second with the tips of his fingers, and dropped to the deck with knees bent to absorb the shock. He was running forward before he'd entirely recovered from the fall grabbing Aydie by the wrist and dragging her down the last few stairs. Through his grip he could feel her stumble and he paused for a breath before taking off again. If he could get them near a mast, then they'd be safe. There was no way that the pegasi would be able to reach them if they took shelter within the confusing mess of riggings.

When you're used to getting out of tight spots on your won, you forget that you can count on backup. One pegasus thudded into the deck behind them. Matthew felt the wood give a little shudder with the hit. Several more arrows zipped past them; Matthew kept his head down and hope that Aydie had the good sense to do the same.

"Easy, there." Hector's voice couldn't have been any more welcome than in that moment. "You're going to run poor Aydie ragged, Matthew."

"Well, you know – it builds character." That got a guffaw from his lord and a breathless laugh from Aydie. That was good: if she was laughing, she was fine. She couldn't fake that; it was too real. Aydie wasn't _that _good at acting.

Matthew looked behind him while he and Aydie recovered from their mad dash. He felt a little smug when he saw that the air around them was clear. Only one of the pegasi was on the deck; the others probably were in the water somewhere. It didn't really matter. He was just glad that they were gone. More important was that he saw that the other pirates were retreating from where they had been fighting on the boarding planks. When he pointed that out to Hector, his lord said, "Yeah, it does look like they're running away. We scared them off – Fargus will be disappointed when he gets back up here."

As soon as those words were out of Hector's mouth, Matthew knew there was going to be trouble. Aydie's call for "Spare fighters to the forecastle!" only confirmed it. Turning to look at the front of the ship, he saw that the third ship – the one they had lost – had swung around to the front of the _Davros._ Boarding planks clattered on the deck and the little knot of people around him leaped into action. Matthew shadowed Hector's charge toward the new enemies. _Their axes are shoddy – terrible quality, really – but that doesn't mean they won't hurt. That's only if they can hit you!_

Before he and Hector got to the pirates, Canas and Erk took out a few. Matthew ducked under a bolt of lightning and dodged past the strange dark ball that the shaman cast. Hector beat him to the crowd of enemies and landed the first strike. Matthew didn't have time to watch what else his lord was up to.

He ducked under one swipe and bobbed back up inside the fighter's range. He didn't give him a chance to retaliate; a knife deep between the ribs sent him to the deck like a ton of bricks. Matthew's next target never even saw him coming. A slash across the neck took care of him. It was like a dance, one the spy had practiced many times. He and Hector stood next to each other once the pirates recovered from their surprise. They'd done this many times before, from training when Hector first took him on as a vassal of Ostia to their escape from the keep and the assassins who'd chased them. Hector was one of the few people Matthew trusted at his back. He was actually a decent guy – for a noble, that is. The blue-haired lord clobbered one man and Matthew stabbed another who tried to take advantage of the opening in Hector's guard. He noted that spells picked off other pirates, but only as a brief observation. The motions of the fight – dip, stab, duck, bob, dive, slide, jab – were far more important.

A roar of laughter burst over the deck. Matthew tensed, dreading that they were about to fall into a trap, when Fargus bellowed, "I'm back! Now, who wants to die first?" Hector gave a disappointed groan when Fargus' men swarmed past them. Matthew straightened and took the chance to watch as the fresh fighters made short work of the remaining enemies. Glancing around, he had felt a second of lurching dismay when he didn't see Aydie. _Nothing could have happened to her – she was behind us and we didn't let any through- Oh._

She was leaning over a railing again. It looked like this time she hadn't managed to recover as well as she had been. Erk was next to her, patting her back awkwardly. _Huh. Odd. I wonder if he's intending to court her. They're both from Etruria, it seems like, and they've got academics in common. I guess you just never can tell._

"No, Ninian, don't come out – there's blood everywhere!" Lyn hurried to stop the blue-haired girl from walking out on deck. Ninian stood in the doorway to the cabin in which she'd been hidden, her eyes wide, blank circles. She took several steps forward only to slip in the blood. Eliwood, who had hurried forward with Lyn, caught the dancer before she could hit the deck.

"… ah." Her voice was just as blank as the expression on her face. "I'm sorry." Adelessa had finished by the railing and walked over by the girl.

"Ninian, are you alright?" the tactician asked. Matthew had to move closer to hear the girl's response.

"Ninian? Is that… me? My name?" She looked between those who had gone over to see her. There was no flicker of recognition in her ruby-red eyes, even when they lit on Aydie, who she'd spent the most time with. "I… my head is foggy," Ninian said haltingly. She reached for Aydie and the brunette wrapped her in a hug. Ninian nuzzled into her embrace. "Am I at sea?"

"We found you drifting, Ninian." The use of her name and the gentle tone were no accidents. Aydie's face was full of tenderness and sorrow; Matthew almost felt like he should look away. He was starting to wonder if there was any emotion she didn't feel deeply. As Aydie murmured quietly to the girl she hugged, Matthew waved for Fargus and the lords to join him. Since she wouldn't be able to tell them what was going on, he might as well do it for her.

"They were after Ninian," he said without preamble.

Fargus frowned. "Is that so?" He glanced at his crew and growled when one of them made the sign of Elimine. "You should take her with you. The men think she's cursed."

"Cursed?" Hector repeated. It was one of the very few subtle warnings Hector gave. Fargus missed it.

"They don't want her on the ship." At Lyn's incredulous and furious stare, the old pirate explained, "Sea men are superstitious, lass. You get an odd bird like her and an attack like that – well, they think it's a bad omen. I'm not unconvinced myself."

Eliwood sighed heavily and almost looked like he was about to answer. Aydie spoke up from where she sat with Ninian. "We'll just take her with us, then. We can keep her safe from anyone else who might want to capture her and keep your crew happy at the same time."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Hector asked.

"I wouldn't leave her behind," the brunette replied solemnly. She met the eyes of each person in turn. "The last time we traveled with Ninian, she and her brother were being hunted by dark-robed men. These people – they wore the same clothing, the same colors. I can't imagine how large of a coincidence it would have to be for them to be any other group."

"How are you so sure?" Eliwood asked.

"I feel like she's right, too. I can't explain it, but it's almost as if… as if there's something in the air that hints at the Black Fang being involved in this mess." Lyn held Eliwood's gaze evenly when he leveled it on her.

"And if we leave her behind, it's a certainty that she'll be targeted again. It would be better if we kept her with us and watched over her. It would be safer for her and the crew – and, by extension, us." Aydie shrugged ever-so-slightly. It was a tic she had; Matthew had learned by now that it meant that she'd laid all of her cards on the table and was waiting for judgment from those around her. If she felt so strongly about this, it was likely true.

"My lord and I were attacked by men in black robes – like the people today – when we were leaving Ostia." Matthew ignored the glare Hector shot his way. He was used to it by now. "I thought that it might have been any group of dissenters, but now that I think of it they could have been Black Fang. That probably wasn't a coincidence."

"… I understand. We should keep her with us – this way, we'll be by her side to protect her. "Take us to shore, Captain," Eliwood decided. "We'll light a signal fire for you when we're ready to leave."

"We'll wait two weeks – if I don't hear from you by then, we'll figure you're not coming back."

* * *

><p>Adelessa had never been so glad to be on solid ground, not even if it <em>was<em> cursed, because that meant she was no longer on that wretched boat. She had never been so sick in her _life_. Even the thought of having Ninian along on such a dangerous errand – the girl hadn't left her side since she'd embraced her on the deck, as if she was afraid that Adelessa would vanish if she took her eyes off of her – didn't make a dent in her relief, though feeling weak from not eating anything and fuzzy-headed from lack of sleep was unpleasant.

"I've a chowderheaded crewmate here who thinks he wants to go _sight-seeing_," Fargus said. When Dart waved at her, Adelessa laughed. Somehow she wasn't all that surprised.

"We'll be glad to have him," she said. "I'll even try to get him back to you in one piece."

"Oh, I'm not _that_worried about him." While Dart bickered with his captain, Adelessa looked at what laid before them on the island. The group stood on a beach, sandy and near pristine. Before them lay a stretch of grassy land cut into pieces by rivers that trickled out to the sea. Just beyond, she could make out a thick forest; it was hard to see through all of the thick fog that covered everything. A few hunks of stone jutted up from the earth here and there; whether they were natural or man-made was impossible to tell from this far away.

"Lovely place," Matthew quipped.

"It _is _quite fascinating," Canas agreed, oblivious to the spy's sarcasm. It was a wonder that Matthew's eyes didn't pop right out of his skull when he rolled them.

"You're looking better," Erk said to her, his voice quiet. He'd been checking up on her off and on ever since she first started suffering from her seasickness.

"I'm feeling better. Thank you." She paused. "I hate to seem rude, but _why_are you looking out for me?" It wasn't in character for Erk to be so concerned – or perhaps that was just Serra who wore on his nerves so badly. Still, it wasn't as if they had been too terribly close before.

"It's the least that I can do for another adoptee of House Reglay." Erk shrugged a little bit, gave her a small smile, and wandered off with Canas to argue magic while Merlinus finished organizing their belongings on the beach.

"Somewhere within that forest is the Dragon's Gate," Eliwood murmured. Adelessa touched his shoulder; he looked at her, surprised.

"We'll find him," she promised. "We'll come back with your father – you know that I'll work my hardest to make it so. Everyone else will, as well."

"You're right. We'll have to make preparations to find the Gate." Eliwood walked off, likely to help Merlinus and double-check the supplies that they would be carrying with them.

Ninian made a small noise at the word "Gate;" Adelessa realized that she had made another similar noise when the full name of their destination had been said. "Ninian? Are you alright?" When all she got was a blank stare in return – goodness, but that thousand-yard stare was all too familiar to her – she gently rubbed Ninian's shoulders. "It's alright," she soothed. "Don't worry about it. You're safe with us." She looked at the forest and tried to ignore the strange draw that something in the distance had for her. "We'll keep you safe."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **It's still Friday, right? *flops* Sorry about this being a little late – I had a crazy week at work and hardly any time outside of it.

Apologies for any typos in this one - it's unbeta-ed and I'm terrible at catching my own mistakes, baaaaah.

Here we go! Time to start the Dread Isle arc. :3 Who else isn't looking forward to the unfortunate emotional rollercoaster that this arc contains? 8luuuuuuuuh. This is going to be hard.

Many thanks to my beta, **Ryan**, for being an awesome editor and proofreader and overall are-you-sure-you-really-meant-to-say-that-er. :3 Also, thanks to my reviewers – **Tom-Ato13, Solyeuse, patattack, Sparks101, Sethera, MilleniaMaster, Drachegirl14, Sentury, Yuufa-san, AquaticSilver,** and **angelbeets**– for encouraging me even when I despaired that I would have to miss this week's update!

Hopefully I'll see you next week, but there's a chance that I might miss this next update. I'll be traveling a fair amount this week and I can't promise that I'll have as much time to write as I'd like. I'll try to get it out on time – I know a lot of you are waiting on the edge of your seat for this chapter – but… well, we'll just hope that you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Until next time!


	27. The Dread Isle

The Dread Isle

Traveling into the forest had a very strange effect on the group. Normally there were several people who would keep up lively chatter while their band was on the road: Serra and Sain would flirt until separated, Wil would talk to anyone who gave him a chance, the magic users would debate spells, the scholars would discuss academic pursuits, and Adelessa herself would engage in small talk to pass the time. As soon as they entered the fog-veiled forest, however, all conversations died. A nervous hush fell on the group.

Strangely enough, Adelessa didn't feel all that out of sorts. When she looked at Lyn, Matthew, or Rebecca, for example, they were obviously on edge; all three had their weapons at the ready and glanced around nervously. Adelessa wasn't sure if it was because she was tired and couldn't muster up the wherewithal to be nervous or if she had lived through enough terrifying things that she couldn't find it in herself to be upset by ambiance. If anything, she felt at ease here, where no people wandered and deep currents of magic swirled.

Ninian's hand gripped her own when the girl stumbled over a branch. Adelessa reached back with her other hand to steady her. The blank look in Ninian's eyes made her cringe: that vacant stare told a story of pain and abuse held at bay through every subconscious effort possible. Whatever had happened since she last saw Ninian and Nils must have been devastatingly bad to cause the dancer to withdraw like this. It made Adelessa want to gather her up, hide her away from the world, and personally kill whomever had hurt her so badly. Just because she didn't have physical injuries didn't mean she hadn't suffered, after all.

She turned to continue walking and saw that Lyn was picking her way over to her. "We're stopping for a few minutes while Canas decides what way we should go," the swordswoman said. Adelessa looked over at Canas; the shaman was absently fiddling with his monocle and murmuring silently to himself. "You should take a moment to rest."

"Forever taking care of me, Lyn?" Adelessa asked, caught between amusement and exasperation. The entire group had been trying to coddle her since they got on the island after they'd learned that she had been seasick the entire trip. Erk in particular had been keeping a sharp eye on her – at least he was when Serra wasn't demanding his attention. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all. Moving around helps." Despite her protests, she went ahead and sat down on a moss-covered log. Ninian perched next to her.

"Since you seem to be so determined to continue after all that you've been through, someone has to make sure that you're not unwell. Running yourself into the ground won't help any of us, you know." Lyn wasn't upset with her; if she was, Adelessa would be receiving a reproachful look. Lyn could do those _very _well. She was just worried.

"I know – I'll let you know if I need a break. I'm aware that I'm worse than useless when I'm exhausted and trying to strategize." Lyn was satisfied by that and fell quiet. Adelessa took the opportunity to lean back against a tree behind her and close her eyes for a moment. It wasn't that she needed to sleep; far from it, actually. She was a little fatigued, but nowhere near the point of falling asleep while sitting up. Still, a bit of rest was welcome.

That was interrupted when she felt the log bounce. Adelessa sat up straighter and saw that Canas had sat down next to her. "Would you mind indulging my curiosity for a moment?" he asked. "I gave our direction to Wil and Dart, like you said." She'd suggested that those two go ahead and scout together; they had been amenable to that plan. Since they were nowhere to be seen, they were likely already checking to make sure that the path was clear before the whole group followed. "I believe they'll take several minutes to return. I had hoped to speak with you more on the matter of your medallion – it's quite fascinating." He looked at her with such hope and expectation that Adelessa almost felt bad.

Still, she couldn't bring herself to trust a shaman, even if he _did_ seem fairly harmless, to say nothing of a virtual stranger. _You'll just have to learn to be disappointed. _"I'm not comfortable talking about it," she said. "I'm sorry."

"But it just looks like a protective spell – surely there's nothing so unusual about that!" he protested. Adelessa froze – if he could see that much, what else could he tell about the magic around her. "A strangely powerful and specific one, to be sure, but just a protective spell." He must have realized that he was being unintentionally but terribly rude after Adelessa just _stared_at him for a moment. "Oh! I apologize. I was just wondering."

"No, it's alright." Adelessa barely managed to ward away a sigh. Thankfully he didn't seem like he was going to press the issue any further. Despite that, she wanted to be sure that he wouldn't keep asking questions that made her nervous. The best way to distract a scholar, she knew, was to ask him about his work. "So what did you see up ahead?"

"I looked for the highest concentration of magic. The ruins around here hold all kinds of leftover hints, but they're nowhere near as lit up as an active or recent casting. There's a large quantity to the south – it's a mix of anima and elder magics. I've no idea what the working might be, but it must be something major to have all of that power centered around it." That was not welcome news. It was a great deal harder to defend against magic than it was to counter physical threats. There was a good chance that she'd have to use every ounce of cunning she possessed to win and some luck besides. The thought wasn't a pleasant one.

Her plan to keep Canas busy worked too well; he kept talking. "You see, if you know what to look for, there are certain patterns spells and magic take. For example, Ninian here has anima magic running through her – specifically, ice-related anima magic." Ninian blinked at him when he said her name and Adelessa mirrored that at his declaration. At her confusion, he explained, "Most people have at least a little magic in them thanks to their affinity. Even though I'm a shaman, I have traces of basic anima magic around me because of my affinity. You have a great deal of dark magic within you, about as much as Ninian has of ice. I'd imagine that you're either deeply in touch with your affinity or that you've a spell of some sort on you. Do you know-"

Adelessa was saved from having to answer Canas' question when Wil and Dart bounded back to the group. "All's clear!" Wil announced and gave Eliwood and Aydie a big thumb's-up. "It's starting to get really foggy, though – we'll want to get through the woods soon."

By the time Adelessa got to her feet, most of the group was ready to go. Those that weren't were gathering what they needed and would be ready in moments. "Be careful – we don't want to get lost or separated. Keep tabs on your neighbors. Wil, lead the way."

"Sure thing, Ayde! Follow me, guys!" The archer waved and started off at the same deliberate pace at which they'd been moving since entering the woods. Adelessa hurried forward to walk at the front of the group with Eliwood, Hector, Matthew, and Lyn; she wanted to know what was going on as soon as it happened. That, and it let her hear snatches of conversation between the nobles.

"Enter and be lost," Hector muttered, shifting a throwing axe uneasily between his hands. "It almost feels like we can expect that we're not gonna come back."

"Hush," Lyn whispered, her voice almost a hiss. She looked around nervously. "Are you trying to curse us? The spirits may yet hear you, even in a place like this!"

Eliwood was slightly behind her, checking up on Ninian. The two spoke quietly, something for which Adelessa was glad: Eliwood had a way of soothing Ninian when her nerves got the better of her. Matthew didn't speak; his eyes roved, never pausing for long, and a knife was in his hand. For her part, Adelessa simply stayed quiet and tugged her over-tunic tighter around herself. While not bothered by the ambiance, the concerns of those around her were contagious.

Wil held up a closed fist, signaling for a stop. The whole party immediately froze. Looking over his shoulder, the archer waved Adelessa forward. She sneaked past the lords to stand next to him and peered forward. That was definitely the shape of a person, though whomever it was either was also sitting still or he was asleep. _Hopefully he – whoops, she,_ Adelessa corrected herself when she saw the general build of the person, _isn't a sentry for the Black Fang._

Hector, she realized, was not a person to wave at and assume that he'd stay put. He had walked up next to her while she'd tried to make out the person. "Leila!" His voice was both surprised and impressed; now that he'd named her, Adelessa recognized the cut of the bright pink-red hair. The all-black outfit of the Black Fang had thrown her off. "Well, color me impressed – I hadn't thought you'd find your way out here so quickly." The spy was propped up against a tree with her arms loose at her sides and her legs braced in front of her.

Something was terribly wrong. A knot of dread lodged in Adelessa's gut, sending icy, cruel stabs of unease up her spine. _Something's not right,_ she thought, echoing Eliwood's quiet murmur. _Shouldn't she have said something in response to her lord by now? _She lurched forward to grab Matthew when he stepped forward, but he moved too quickly for her to catch. "Leila, what's-" The spy recoiled when he touched her and stood frightfully still. Adelessa saw something dark on his hands. As much as she wanted not to comprehend what was going on, she couldn't keep from realizing that it was blood. Between how still Leila was, the blood on Matthew's hand, and how her intuition threw up red flags, there was no doubt on the matter.

"She's – she's dead." Lyn's voice was shaky. It sealed the matter – as soon as the words were spoken, there was no way to deny their truth. Matthew turned sharply so that his back was to the rest of the group; his shoulders trembled just slightly enough that Adelessa wondered if she'd imagined the motion. A sigh dragged out of Hector, a bone-rattling noise of grief. Eliwood and Lyn, who hadn't known Leila as well, stood silently. Distraught, Ninian turned and hid her face in Adelessa's shoulder. Adelessa herself could hardly focus past the feeling of dread and pain that wound through her. She'd caught the briefest glimpse of heart-rending grief on Matthew's face before he turned away.

"I don't understand," Hector murmured, his voice uneven. "She was one of our best spies." There was a minute where no one moved or spoke. Matthew finally shifted to look at Leila again. "… I'm sorry, Matthew," Hector said.

The spy took a long moment before he looked at his lord. "Why should you apologize, my lord?" The carefully polite, neutral tone of his voice made the lump of pain in Adelessa's throat throb painfully. "Leila blundered. That's all." She wanted to say something, _anything_, to ease his grief, but nothing would come out of her mouth and she couldn't think of a single thing that would help. Almost as if to himself, the blonde said, "After this mission, I was going to tell her that she should put this all behind her. Looks like I waited too long, doesn't it?" He laughed, a bitter, hurt bark that was all pain. There was an excruciating grief in his expression. "My lord, I would like to request permission to join you later. She has to be- has to be buried."

Adelessa held her hand up to her mouth. Tears burned hot in the corners of her eyes and the lump in her throat felt like it was about to split her in two. She choked back a sniffle when Hector replied, "Of course." Somehow she held it together, even when Matthew carefully lifted Leila and carried her away. She saw Eliwood stop Lyn when she would have followed him with a quiet word. Hurrying away, Adelessa leaned heavily against a tree and buried her face in her hands. She didn't want anyone to see her cry.

It started with letting the first few tears trickle out from between her tightly-closed eyelids. She meant to take in a breath, but it was all shaky and came out as a whimper. Her knees, traitorous as they were, buckled slowly under her; she slid down along the tree until she was crouching. Her breath burst into a sob; when she tried to hold it back, it only grew stronger. She clapped one hand over her mouth and used the other to wipe sloppily at her tears.

The part of her that was analytical mulled over that even while pointing out something Adelessa _really_ didn't want to think about. _Now he doesn't have anyone,_ that logical side informed her. _You could have him if you wanted._ That was a thought that came straight from the _what-the-hell-are-you-thinking-Adelessa-Reglay-you-scumsucking-and-morally-bankrupt-disgrace-of-a-person _part of her. Her disgust for herself added to her mourning for Matthew.

Matthew's pain was like a knife to her gut. Every time she tried to recover, the bare expression of grief on his face, in the set of his shoulders, in the hunch of his back, in his tightly closed fists – it stabbed her again and again, wringing another sob out of her that gave birth to several more. It was the first time that she'd lost someone. Perhaps Leila wasn't a part of their group, but she had been an ally and someone important to a person dear to her. That she had been killed and left for them in so remarkable a way was a message to them. It was their quest – the one Adelessa led and advised – that took Leila's life. Because she wasn't good enough at what she was doing, someone dearly loved and cherished was dead. Adelessa wept.

It took several minutes and as many false starts before she finally managed to compose herself. Another minute was spent trying to control her sniffles and doing her best to look normal. She was glad to see that she'd had her little breakdown in private; no one had followed her when she left. If any good thing came out of her fit of sobbing, it was that in its wake she felt nothing but empty calm. She had cried out all of her anger, all of her sadness, all of the pain that was on the faces of those who had found Leila with her. Only logic and a distant determination to finish the fight remained. Wiping off the last traces of tears from her cheeks, Adelessa raised her head and walked back to the group.

Every head turned to look at her when she said, "She was put out here for us to find her on purpose. There's no way that her placement was an accident." It was time for her to support and guide the rest of the group. Her grieving had to be finished so that she could properly serve them. She saw righteous fury in Lyn's eyes; she could work with that, just like she could work with the grimness in Hector's and the urge to right a wrong that Eliwood wore like a cape. As long as they weren't despairing, she could pick them up and help them fight again. She wasn't willing to let them fall prey to depression, not when there was so much riding on their actions.

Adelessa normally wasn't much one for speeches, but this was an exception. They needed to hear this. She needed to say it. "It was a message to us. They think that they'll be able to rule us with fear, that by committing a crime like this they can force us to run away with our tails between our legs." She looked each person she could see in the eye: the knights had come up to join their lords and others were edging closer. "Our enemy thinks that he can cow us by leveling a strike at our hearts. He thinks that we'll turn back because of this. _If we turn back, he wins._ I _refuse _to let a man who would kill someone as a show of power win over me.

"Leila's death is a tragedy. More than that, it is a crime, one of many for whom the mastermind of this scheme needs to answer. He killed Lord Helman. He killed every man against whom we've fought. He killed knights of Pherae. His hands are drenched in blood and he has smeared unrest and fear throughout Lycia with his actions. And now – _and now,_ as if what he's done hasn't been enough! – he has killed _again_. He killed a woman who was strong, brave, loyal – he killed a good person.

"Someone has to hold him accountable. Someone has to bring him to justice." Adelessa realized that her voice had been steadily rising while she spoke and at some point the entire group fell silent to listen to her. Letting her voice fall back to its normal volume, she declared, "I intend to make sure that comes true. He's somewhere on this island – we'll just have to find him and stop him before any more people die." When she looked at each person again, she saw that the fire had returned to their eyes. The Dread Isle had stolen it away, but they had rediscovered their purpose here. The only thing that seemed odd was how Ninian was tugging nervously on Lyn's sleeve. Adelessa frowned and started toward them-

Only to be cut off by a blur. Rocking back on her heels, Adelessa watched as Lyn shoved Ninian toward Eliwood. He caught her just as Lyn was dragged several paces away. The horse stopped, pawing at the ground with a hoof, and its rider held a blade to Lyn's throat. "That was a pretty speech," he said, "but you know not what you're fighting. Give me the girl with the blue hair if you want this one intact."

"Lyn!" Adelessa took a step forward but backpedaled quickly. The horseman pressed his blade against Lyn's throat when she moved closer. She held up her hands and backed away another step. As she did so, she took the chance to study the man. He wore garments that she immediately recognized as Sacaean. A longbow was strapped to his back, an extra-long one for which Sacaean nomads were famous. His mount was a plains horse, shaggy and stout.

"You're Sacaean!" Lyn accused; she was likely able to tell due simply to his accent.

"That's correct," he responded coolly. "I am Uhai of the Black Fang." If she hadn't already been focusing on him, that would have demanded every bit of her attention. Never before had someone announced that they were a member of the Black Fang. That meant that not only was he likely an important figure, but also that they were in the Black Fang's territory. "I've been sent to capture the girl and execute all of you," he continued. "However, if you simply hand over the girl and leave the island at once, I'll leave you with your lives."

"What if we refuse?" Adelessa asked.

He looked over at her. "You know nothing, little lords," he said to all of them. "You know nothing of Nergal's might, his terrible power. You have no measure of his strength and so you hope to oppose him. Like insects fighting against the heavens, your actions will change nothing. Speak no more of this foolish desire to fight him. Leave."

Eliwood was the one to reply. "You're right," he told Uhai calmly. "We don't know what we're fighting. But if we run now, our loss is guaranteed. We'll not flee – if we fight, we might just win!"

Uhai narrowed his eyes. "What folly." The muscles in his arms bunched and Adelessa flinched. She fully expected more blood to be shed. Instead, she went sprawling when Lyn was pushed into her. They landed in a tangled pile that took several seconds to sort out. By the time Lyn got to her feet, the horseman had brought his horse around and was starting to leave.

"Wait! Why did you let me go?" Uhai stopped at that and looked over his shoulder.

"Holding a woman hostage during battle is shameful and cowardly. You know that – you are of Sacae, like me. I thought I would show you mercy by letting you die with a sword in your hands. You _will _die here, all of you. At least this way you won't have to live through Nergal's schemes. When you're dead, a calamity in the world of the living is hardly a concern." He left without another word.

_Well, that was lovely news to receive. _Adelessa indulged in a second of just staring at where Uhai had disappeared into the forest before snapping into action. "He'll be sending troops at us soon," she said briskly. "Florina, I want you up in the air. Let me know what the surrounding area looks like. Tell me how the fog looks – if it's going to get thicker, if it's dissipating, anything you see. Those of you with a torch, go ahead and light it now. If Uhai found us, his men probably already know that we're here. Marcus, I want you to keep Ninian with you. Lowen, Dorcas, and Bartre, I want you to join him in guarding her. Try to stay away from the combat. I want everyone else to be on hand for fighting. If I was in charge of the enemy troops, I'd plant myself right in the way of where we'd have to go. He'll be blocking us to the south. We'll have to get through him if we want to make any progress."

"I'm back, my lord! What's got everyone in such a fuss?" Matthew's voice sounded chipper and almost normal. He'd reappeared next to Hector, though he was close enough that Adelessa could hear him. Seeing him again made the tactician's heart thud painfully for a few beats before she got herself back under control.

"We've been issued a formal challenge by the Black Fang. Uhai, one of its members, intends to kill us and take Ninian back to Nergal."

Matthew's eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. "I guess I'd better make sure my knives are ready to go, then."

"Matthew, are you sure you want to do this? You don't-"

"My lord, don't you remember why you brought me here?" The teasing tone of his voice almost covered up the anger and hurt in it. "Aydie knows that I'm good here. With the fog and darkness, you need eyes like mine. This is what I'm best at." Matthew's voice dropped to a low pitch. Adelessa could barely hear it. "If Leila – if she was here, and knew I was shirking my duties, she'd never forgive me. My lord, Aydie, letting me fight for her – and for you – is all I'm asking for. I won't lose control."

While Hector looked dubious on the whole matter, Adelessa didn't give it a second thought. He needed to do something or else he'd begin wallowing in his grief. Matthew needed things to keep him busy or else he'd start to fall apart. "Of course. I need a good set of eyes to help me see through this fog. Thank you, Matthew."

"You're welcome – I know, I know, you wouldn't be able to do this without me." He gave her a blithe wave and trotted off to look around the sides of the group. Adelessa wanted to talk to him, but she couldn't think of anything to say before Florina landed.

"The fog is getting thicker," she said. "It doesn't look like we can wait it out, not unless we want to hide for a few hours."

"We don't have a few hours," Adelessa replied, "so we'll just have to make do. Everyone, stay sharp – we'll have to fight in the fog. You might not be able to see any enemies until they're practically on top of you. Head south – that's where we have to go to reach the Dragon's Gate." Adelessa moved to the front of the group; she didn't want Matthew announcing what he saw, so up to him she had to go.

Only a few rushed moments passed before they came under attack. Matthew had barely enough time to hiss a warning before Adelessa heard hooves thundering around them. She half-turned first to her left, then to her right, and found that it was impossible to triangulate from where the noise was coming. It didn't surprise her that Uhai would have other horsemen; nomads did some of their best fighting in the saddle. She didn't even have to give an order: the axe- and lance-wielders stepped forward, the sword users hung back, and the ranged units prepared arrows and spells. When the first horseman charged at Oswin, an arrow to the throat dropped him. A second arrow picked off another enemy on the opposite side of the group. Thunder cracked and a bolt of lightning jumped past the melee fighters to strike an archer. Light and dark magic made strange contrasts in the fog.

That wave abruptly ended. Adelessa strained her eyes and ears to discern any movements in the woods surrounding them. Matthew was doing the same next to her. When she couldn't find anything, she was caught between relief and worry. The uneasy glance she shared with Matthew confirmed that he hadn't noticed anything, either. If he couldn't see anything, either there was nothing there or it was too well-hidden for anyone to hope to find it. With that decided, she nodded slightly to Eliwood. The lord waved forward and slowly started in that direction, carefully navigating the gnarled roots that ran along the ground. Some were tall enough that they gave the more heavily-armored units trouble.

It turned out that the enemy had almost as much trouble with those roots as her own units did. There was a clatter and shout from their left; a smudge in the fog toppled to the ground. Adelessa pointed toward it and spells and arrows both shot toward it. Erk's fireball burned away some of the fog for a few seconds and revealed that there was a squad of myrmidons lying in wait. As soon as she saw them clearly, they burst into action. Eliwood and Lyn stopped two that went after Hector in a furious opening bout. Matthew and a third circled warily, each watching for a slip of his guard, a misstep, any opening that would allow for an attack. Kent and Sain defended the flanks of the group, charging at any opponents who gave them a clear shot. Oswin planted himself firmly in front of Hector, ignored how his lord scolded him, and calmly speared the first man who made it past Lyn and Eliwood. Florina took to the air; she dove down on a straggler who tried to sneak around the back of the formation.

That skirmish was even shorter than the first. Those myrmidons that weren't killed fled from the fight. Adelessa let them go; they were injured and if she split her forces in this weather it would take them ages to find each other. Killing fleeing enemies left a bad taste in her mouth, anyways. Logically, routing them would have been the best plan, but she couldn't force herself to murder a person who was running away instead of retreating. It was just – wrong.

The sound of further combat shook her out of her thoughts. Since she couldn't see where it was coming from, Adelessa chose the next-best option. "Florina, I'd like you to go up in the air again," she ordered. "I want you to find out where that noise is coming from." Florina nodded and took to the air. This could end up being a boon to their efforts: if someone else was fighting the Black Fang, Adelessa could potentially gain an ally and, quite frankly, she was beginning to suspect that she'd need all the help she could get.

An arrow streaked up at Florina. "Find the archer that shot that!" Adelessa ordered. If there were archers hidden around them, not only would they shoot down the pegasus knight, but they'd soon turn their bows against the rest of the group. Luckily, Florina had dodged the few that had zipped by her and was now out of range, circling high enough that Adelessa could barely see her for the fog. Satisfied that Florina was safe for now, the tactician turned her attention to the paths of the arrows. Tracing their paths in her mind, she determined several spots where they had originated. "Matthew, Raven, Guy – with me. The archers are this way."

She led the three of them off the path that they had been taking. They stayed low to the ground and close to the trees, using natural camouflage as often as possible. After careful minutes of walking, Adelessa pointed out the archers. She'd judged correctly: there were only three and, luckily, all three had their backs to them. It only took a second for the three fighters to decide which target went to which person. They padded forward, weapons readied, and pounced on the archers all at the same time. Each went down without so much as a yelp. Adelessa waited a moment for them to clean off their weapons before they headed back.

It was with no small amount of surprise that she saw that there were _two _pegasi when she returned. Florina was hugging a woman she didn't recognize. When the lavender-haired girl spotted Adelessa, she towed the other woman over. "Aydie! Here – Aydie, this is Fiora, my older sister. She's a pegasus knight. Fiora, this is Aydie. She's the tactician I was telling you about in my letters."

Adelessa smiled. She'd never seen Florina so excited. She offered her hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Fiora. What brings you to Valor?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Matthew turn to watch their surroundings. _Good; I can talk without worrying this way. _No wonder Hector liked having him watch his back: Matthew was fantastic at watching for trouble.

"A pleasure to meet you as well," Fiora answered, shaking Aydie's hand. Her hair was a deep shade of aqua and her eyes were a matching shade. She had the same petite build as Florina, though she was slightly taller. "I was hired to investigate the Dread Isle."

"By yourself?"

"No. There were others." Hardness and regret both hardened the woman's expression. "My squad – a full unit of pegasus knights – was attacked when we ventured south of here. The Black Fang obliterated it. I was the only one who survived."

The story hit Adelessa hard. If only Leila's death had rocked her so badly, what would she do if everyone else in her group was killed? It was... not a pleasant thought, to be sure. "I had hoped that you would be willing to keep her on as another fighter," Florina said.

"Of course – I'd be more than happy to have you join us. I won't say no to another fighter. We're a bit busy right now, but if you can stay close to Florina. She'll give you directions. Will that work for you for now?"

"Yes, thank you. I am at your command." Fiora gave her a brief salute before she returned to her pegasus and strapped herself into the saddle.

"Did something happen while I was gone?" she asked Eliwood when she went over to him. There were more bodies than she remembered near the group and Serra was tending to a poetically and pathetically woeful Sain.

"Another group attacked us. We handled it fine, don't worry – Florina and her sister arrived at just the right time." He was unruffled and calm; it reinforced his assurance that it wasn't a major problem. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with her. She forgot something – there's a guardhouse of some sort not far to the southeast of here."

"A guardhouse?" That was interesting. A building like that, no matter how crude, was a notable structure. If she had to hazard a guess, Adelessa would say that Uhai would be waiting for them there. It was right where they needed to go in order to reach the concentration of magic that Canas saw. "Once Serra's finished healing Sain, we'll head in that direction. Sitting around and waiting for another attack would be foolish."

"Did I ever tell you that I like the way you think?" Hector asked, grinning ferociously at Aydie. He clapped her on the shoulder. "Let's bring the fight to _him!_" Hector's enthusiasm was catching. More than one face lit up at the idea of so solidly winning their first fight on the Dread Isle. Adelessa was more cautiously optimistic – Uhai wouldn't be easy to take down even on his own and he likely had at least a squad of other horsemen with him – but she was buoyed by his attitude all the same.

It only took them a few minutes to get back underway. She ordered that they douse the torches; now that they were nearing Uhai, she didn't want to give away their location with the light. Sacrificing visibility on the sides and rear of the group could be matched by watchful sentries. Since several of her units decided to do that without her command, she was willing to risk it. Rebecca in particular had been doing a good job of watching their surroundings even before they doused the torches. With her watching the back and Matthew looking forward, Adelessa felt confident in their ability to avoid an unpleasant surprise.

Only one more minor scuffle happened when another squad of myrmidons stumbled across them. Surprised by their appearance, the enemies took a few seconds to react. In that span of time, half of Adelessa's company had started to attack. It was a decidedly one-sided fight in which they routed that squad. The only injury suffered was when Oswin misstepped and twisted his ankle on a root. Hector teased him ruthlessly.

Finally, after several minutes' worth of stumbling through the forest, the guardhouse came into view. Adelessa's guesses had been right on the money: Uhai was in front of the simple building, with several horsemen standing ready near him. Uhai had his bow out still. The nomads with him seemed to be split evenly between wielding swords or bows. _With Uhai and six others, our best plan would be to…. _She held up a finger for time while she thought.

Turning to face the rest of the group, Adelessa motioned for them to come in close to her. "We're going to have to do this very carefully." Her voice was a bare whisper; she didn't dare speak louder, not when they were this close to the enemy. "Florina, Fiora, you're not to join the fight until all of the archers are dealt with and Uhai has put away his bow. Magic-users and archers, I want you to try to take out the three enemy archers near Uhai. Kent, Sain, help them if they need it. Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, and Oswin, I'd like you to try to take on Uhai. Serra and Priscilla, try to stay away from direct combat but remain close enough that you can heal anyone who is injured. Lowen, Marcus, Dorcas, Bartre, I want you to stay back here in the trees with Ninian. You'll be safe here once we draw their attention. If I haven't mentioned you in particular, I want you to work on keeping the three horsemen with the swords busy." Heads nodded; her orders were passed back in hushed whispers to those who couldn't hear.

A breathless moment of anticipation passed while each person checked his or her equipment and prepared. "Surely you're not going to join us," Lyn said to Adelessa. "You didn't say where you'd be."

"I know better," she assured the swordswoman. "I'll stay back here with Ninian." The blue-haired girl looked almost as relieved at that as Lyn did.

"Good – I was hoping I wouldn't have to convince you to stay here. You're terribly stubborn when you get an idea in your head."

"Almost as stubborn as you, Lyn," Adelessa joked. Lyn gave her a smile in response. She watched as the swordswoman joined the other two lords and Oswin. The groups she'd named in her orders formed up as well. Canas began murmuring the start of a spell under his breath; the rest of the ranged units took that as their signal to prepare. By the time he finished his spell, the rest of them were just about to fire. The enemy archers hardly knew what hit them. Only one – targeted by just Lucius' light spell – remained in any position to retaliate.

His arrow ricocheted crazily from a glancing blow off of Oswin's armor. The knight ignored this and instead planted himself in front of Uhai. He blocked the swing of the nomad's sword with his shield, leaving the Sacaean open to a strike from Hector. What came of that, she couldn't see; Sain chased a horseman into her line of sight. She cringed and squeezed her eyes shut when the sphere of Canas' dark magic crashed into the enemy. Adelessa kept them closed for a moment so she wouldn't accidentally look at the spell: one time seeing the unholy things a combat dark spell could do was more than enough for her, thanks _ever _so.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw that Hector had his hand pressed against an apple-sized dent in his chestplate. Uhai looked winded, but he had his sword locked with Lyn's. Oswin was slowly getting up from where he'd been sprawled on the ground. Eliwood couldn't get close without the risk of getting kicked by Uhai's horse.

The last of Uhai's squad fell when Kent and Sain caught him in a pincer maneuver. His horse's scream of pain distracted Uhai for a fraction of a second. That was long enough for Hector to barrel forward. The _CRUNCH _of the blunt side of his axe crashing into Uhai's torso was not a pleasant one to behold. The nomad was thrown bodily from the saddle and skidded to a stop on the ground. When she saw that he laid without moving for several seconds, Adelessa hurried over to the lords to check on them. She waved for Serra to come over and check Hector; his battered armor had her worried. She didn't have the chance to say anything to the cleric, however: Uhai's voice creaked and he spoke breathlessly.

"Well done," he gasped. "You are stronger - stronger than I expected." His eyes closed. "I will... will give you a final gift. From here, go south and turn at the rotted tree. Head...west. The Dragon's Gate is that way."

"Rest," Adelessa soothed, kneeling next to him. "Your fight is over. Thank you, Uhai. May Mother Earth and Father Sky keep your spirit." One last breath rattled from his chest; she paused bow her head for a moment, offering up a quiet prayer to Elimine and the spirits both to ward his passing. He might have been their enemy, but he had been a surprisingly honorable man for being part of the Black Fang. _Or maybe it's not such a surprise, _she thought, remembering the origins of the organization.

"Should we trust what he said?" Eliwood asked. Adelessa stood and started back toward them.

"He's a Sacaean - we don't lie." Lyn shrugged slightly. "I trust him, at least."

Adelessa felt like pacing. Yes, Uhai was Sacaean, but he had also been the enemy. He might seem honorable, but who was to say that it wasn't a front? Could they really trust information from him? For all she knew, he could have just sent her toward an ambush. Still, that _was _the direction Canas had pointed out. Who knew how long they might wander looking for a passable way across Valor otherwise? "We'll take it. Just make sure to stay ready if we have to fight."

It only took a few minutes for them to gather themselves - Matthew nicked several kits of supplies from the guardhouse with the explanation of, "They don't need them anymore!" - before they headed out. The rotting tree was easy to spot: it was less tree and more splintered wood in a technically upright orientation. It had taken an hour to get there through the forest.

Ninian was staring to the south, her eyes blanker than they had been recently. Needless to say, this wasn't particularly a good thing. "Ninian?" Adelessa said, gently touching the girl's shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"... something is strange over there," she replied, her voice sounding oddly hollow.

When Adelessa looked at Canas, the shaman popped on his monocle. "Sure enough," he said absently. "That area has a strange... flickering to it."

"Do you think Nergal could be doing something there?" _If he's up to something..._

"I've never seen magic do something like this before, at least."

That was all the answer she needed. "Let's take a detour, then. It can't hurt to at least look and see what's going on there." Stepping carefully over some roots, Adelessa led the group to the south. _Who knows? Maybe we'll end up destroying something on which he's working. Sounds like a good use of our time to me. And,_ she thought grimly, _perhaps something that can start to make up for Leila's death._

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><p><strong>AN:** Oh look it's on time woooo~ Though partly unbeta'd, though hopefully I'll have word back on that soonest! In the meantime, let me know if you see any glaring mistakes, please! X3

Also awwww, sadbat. D: Poor Leila and Matthew.

Thanks to my beta, **Ryan**, and my lovely reviewers: **Drachegirl14, patattack, AquaticSilver, Tom-Ato13, Yuufa-san, MilleniaMaster, Sentury, Sparks101,** and **Sethera**! You guys are awesome. Also, I'm coming up on 200 reviews (adfsafda WHAT) so I was wondering what you guys might want as a gift from me! Let me know and I'll throw it up for voting on next chapter from the suggestions I get. :3

See you next week!


	28. Prisoner of Magic

**A/N: **Changing things up on you here to make sure you guys see this! Just gonna thank my beta, **Ryan**, for all of his hard work and my reviewers - **patattack, Tom-Ato13, MilleniaMaster, Yuufa-san, **and **Sparks101 **- for their support and suggestions for the 200 review mark gift! Here are the suggestions:

- art of some sort

- chapter of interactions/thoughts of Aydie on everyone else

- chapter of background pairings

- chapter of other potential Aydie pairings (i.e. Aydie/Hector, Aydie/Sain, etc.)

- small reveal of some of her background

Let me know what you'd like to see!

Now back to your regularly scheduled chapter!

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><p><span>Prisoner of Magic<span>

As soon as the forest started to thicken, Lyn offered to take the lead and Adelessa gratefully accepted her offer. Despite the fact that she had grown up on the plains instead of in a forest like this, Lyn was far more adept at traveling quickly _and_quietly. Adelessa's hand had been claimed by Ninian again: as soon as they started to travel south, the blue-haired girl had clutched the tactician's hand with both of hers and stuck close. Ninian hadn't said anything since they left the rotted tree, no matter how Adelessa coaxed. Eventually she'd given up and instead settled for watching Lyn and worrying about Matthew.

He'd been quiet since their battle with Uhai. Oh, certainly everyone was more hushed than normal, but he was especially withdrawn and grim. It was so concerning because the spy seemed like the type that would dwell on and torment himself about a matter if he wasn't given something else on which he could focus. Adelessa could relate.

At that moment, however, she was more concerned with the fact that Lyn's steps and motions had been steadily becoming jerkier and sharp. She was irritated, greatly so. Adelessa could essentially see her temper wearing thin. She reeled back when Lyn snapped around and faced the group. "Hector, could I have a word with you?" she asked, her voice barbed even underneath the polite tone she tried to cultivate. While those two moved off to the side of the group, Adelessa took a moment to look around.

It wasn't just Lyn whose patience was fraying: Matthew had a particularly black look in his eyes and even Lucius was fussing. If she was to be honest with herself, Adelessa would admit that she felt a little short as well. Thus far, Ninian's clinging hadn't bothered her; now it was starting to get old and obnoxious quickly. _It's not her fault – something happened to her and she's just looking for comfort,_Adelessa reminded herself in an attempt to ease her annoyance. It didn't work nearly as well as she wanted. Eliwood and Marcus were talking both quietly and intensely to one another. Serra and Erk refused to be on the same side of the group.

Almost desperate, she looked for something else to occupy her thoughts. The opportunity to examine their surroundings was good enough for her. They were in a more lightly-forested area, though there were still enough trees around that it warranted a slower pace. A craggy hill – it wasn't nearly impressive enough to be called a mountain, but it was too jagged to be easily passable – rose to the west. The path they were following turned westward not too far before them. _Perhaps this path also leads to the Dragon's Gate. Wouldn't that be convenient?_ Adelessa wasn't willing to bet on it. _At worst, we can just head north until we find the path we're supposed to be on._

"Do you _see_ what I'm wearing?" Hector's sudden shout made her jump. She turned to see that he and Lyn were faced off against one another. He waved both of his hands at his armor, outright snarling. "This isn't light, you know! Tell me, if you're so smart – how am I supposed to walk '_quietly'_in this?" Hector spat out the word "quietly" like it tasted rotten.

"Stop yelling at me!" she shouted back. She was starting to go red in the face; Hector was already there. Her fists were balled up at her sides and her back was straight and stiff with fury. "It's because of that clattering armor that you insist on wearing. All _I'm_saying is that we have to move cautiously!"

"Oh, yes, that's _all_ you're saying – you're surely not saying that I'm doing _any_ less than my _absolute best!_" By now the entire group had stopped whatever they were doing to watch the wreck that was Lyn and Hector's fight.

They were only inches apart when, against Adelessa's better instincts of self-preservation, she wedged between them to break it up. One hand went on each person's shoulder. "You really shouldn't shout," she said, trying to make it firm enough to be an order rather than a nervous suggestion. She wasn't sure how well she pulled it off. "It doesn't matter if any armor is clattering or not if you two are shouting like this. They'll hear us all the way in Bern if you don't quiet down!" It took some gentle pushing to get them to back away from each other – Lyn more than Hector, surprisingly – but they relented after a moment. While Lyn continued to seethe in Hector's general direction, the lord actually looked sheepish and gave Adelessa a mumbled apology. "We have to keep our wits around us. I know that you're frustrated, but there's no way that Uhai was the only one around-"

A shadow flitted on the ground out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look, she saw only the waving shadows of faint sunlight through leaves. Slipping out from between Lyn and Hector, she looked up at the sky for a moment. _No, there's nothing there. Perhaps I imagined it?_ she wondered, staring at the gray, foggy clouds. When she looked to Matthew for confirmation, she was disappointed to see that he was miles away and staring at nothing in particular. _I'm going to have to run this on my own. I don't think Matthew is going to be too much help for a while and no one is as good as he is._"Do you think you can keep from fighting?" she asked Lyn and Hector.

"Would you like to put any more barbs on that question, or do you think it's pointed enough already?" he grumbled. The look he received from Adelessa didn't make him cringe, but it definitely let him know _exactly_what she thought of his wit just then. "I'm done."

"I am as well," Lyn added. She didn't look very appeased, but Adelessa did not care if she was happy with this decision at the moment. She had better things to do than coddle a sulking lord.

"Then we should try to make our way south. If someone _did_hear us," and even Lyn looked sheepish this time, "then it would be best to be as far away from here as possible." When she turned back to the south to continue forward, she was struck by the fact that there was something there that she hadn't noticed before. "Does anyone else see those ruins to the south?"

"Yes," Canas answered. He came over to stand near her and fiddled with his monocle. He'd taken to just keeping it on at all times with how often Adelessa had been asking him for updates on what he saw. "They've got a significant magical trace to them."

"Enough to be the Dragon's Gate?" Adelessa asked. She wouldn't bet half a gold piece on that, but she couldn't help asking.

"No," he sighed, just as disappointed as she was. "It doesn't nearly have the same amount of energy as what I saw earlier. It might be worth investigating – it _does_have more than the other ruins we've seen so far."

"Well, perhaps we'll have to- Ninian, what's wrong?" Adelessa could feel the bones in her hand grating against each other with how tightly the girl squeezed her hand. Strength born of fear was impressive. Turning around, she gently put her free hand on Ninian's shoulder in what she hoped would be a comforting gesture. "Speak to me – what has you this scared?"

Ninian turned eyes as wide as saucers to Adelessa. She caught a thrill of the fright that Ninian felt. "The enemy is coming!" _That _was no warning to take lightly; the hair at the nape of her neck tingled and she looked over her shoulder. Adelessa yelled something along the lines of "Look out!" and pulled both Ninian and Canas down to the ground. Splinters rained down on them when the roiling black-green ball of dark magic she saw turned a tree next to them into so much firewood. Someone shrieked; Adelessa hoped it wasn't her. Her skin erupted into goosebumps when a lance of Lucius' magic streaked over her.

Several seconds passed while she waited to see if another attack would follow. None did. She took the hand offered to help her up; Hector braced her elbow and pulled her to her feet before he all but dragged her back to the rest of the group. "Well," she said, "it looks like they've found us." She dragged several locks of hair out of her face. The shaman who had attacked them laid on the ground, unmoving and no longer a threat. In the distance, she could see several more people forming up. It was time for a fight. "Canas, can you see where the commander is?"

"No, but if I'm not misreading the magical signatures, the leader isn't in this group here. There are a _lot_of mages, however. It looks like they're anima mages, too, with a couple of shamans with them as well."

Hector groaned. "More magic users?" he complained. "I'm still not good against them."

"You could always help guard from the rear of the group," Adelessa suggested. If he was so upset about having to fight them – and she still didn't feel comfortable about sending units into a fight with mages unless she knew they had a good defense against it – perhaps it would be better to have him hang back. Elimine knows that she worried about him and his reckless manner of fighting even without throwing magic into the mix.

"What?" Hector stared at her as if she had grown a third arm. "How can you – I can't fight from the rear! You must've hit your head on the way down, Aydie, because now you're spewing nonsense!" Adelessa blinked at him and tried to say something in return to that little nugget of rhetoric, but he was already stretching out his arms and striding forward. "C'mon – there's fighting to be done! We don't have time to sit around and jaw about this!"

Eliwood gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and a knowing look before he followed after Hector. "He does that to everyone," Matthew told her with a wry half-grin. It wasn't as easygoing as his usual grin, but it was better than anything else Adelessa had seen from him since they found Leila. "It just means you're a friend."

"If you say so," she replied. "Alright – keep to a basic formation! Ranged units, I want you closer to front so you can take shots on the magic-users as soon as possible! Florina, Fiora, I know your pegasi help protect you from magic – get up close and distract them as much as you can. Fall back to the healers if you get injured. Marcus, could you come here?" She handed off Ninian to the knight and waved for Lowen, Dorcas, and Bartre to join him. "I want the four of you to keep her safe again. Stay back here in the woods – we should be able to keep them away from you." While Ninian's ability to sense impending danger was helpful, Adelessa didn't dare risk her in combat and especially not while she was spacing out even more than usual. She had time to give a few more orders – mostly rearranging the formation to better suit fighting the mages – before Rebecca and Wil began firing off arrows.

The first several shots missed because the mages were still on the outskirts of their range. Adelessa thanked the spirits briefly for the fact that arrows could shoot _just_further than most mages were able to cast their spells. One of Rebecca's arrows found a target first, though it didn't do as much damage as Adelessa hoped that it would: her target set up a veil of fire and incinerated the arrow before it could get to him. Lucius' light magic zipped toward one of the shamans, causing him to stagger and fall. Unfortunately, his flare of light made him a target for the anima mages: Lucius yelped and retreated to the healers to tend to a painful-looking burn.

Sain and Kent both urged their mounts forward. They bowled into the enemy ranks. They had their lances out, but they weren't trying to injure the mages: instead, they were breaking up the enemy formation. Mages scattered left and right. Following up behind the cavaliers were the melee units. Raven, it appeared, had taken particular exception to the mage who attacked Lucius. He cut him down viciously before he had to dodge away from a fireball. Florina and Fiora made their appearance when it looked like the mages were about to regroup. Two mages collapsed under them with dull crunches. Flickers of fire and lightning rolled off of pearly white hide and were batted away by feathery wings. Fiora's pegasus took to the air again; Florina's followed shortly behind. Canas, Erk, and Lucius, once he was healed, cast spells almost indiscriminately among the enemy. Looking to make sure that he was alright, Adelessa saw that Matthew skulked behind Hector. He jabbed a strike at one of the anima mages when he got too close to his lord.

A few of the enemy units managed to retreat into the ruins nearby. At Adelessa's command, her units gave chase. As soon as Hector and Eliwood passed under the entrance arch, two men wearing black plate armor lunged out to attack. Adelessa could have sworn that she heard the axe-wielding lord say, "Now _this_ I can do!" Whatever he said, he said it with no small amount of satisfaction and enthusiasm. With two strikes of his axe – one right on the heels of the other – he knocked out both of his opponents. The look of dismay on one mage's face was so profound that it was comical. Adelessa felt bad for even _thinking_about laughing when Matthew cut him down.

By the time that they had defeated those three, the rest of the mages had scattered throughout the ruins. Adelessa debated leaving them and continuing on, but almost immediately dismissed the thought. Finding the commander faster wasn't worth the possibility of being attack from behind. "I'd like magic-users to split up and make teams with melee and support units. We're going to have to rout the mages here before we can continue on." She waited until three groups had been formed – Lucius, Raven, Lyn, and Wil; Erk, Matthew, Hector, and Serra; and Canas, Guy, Eliwood, and Priscilla – before she gave them the go-ahead.

She sat down on a downed column and rubbed her face briskly. _Get your act together,_she scolded herself. Between fatigue, feeling generally weak from being seasick, and the death of Leila, she'd been so worked up and distracted that she had made several lapses in judgment. Adelessa couldn't keep going the way she was. If she didn't get herself in order, someone could die because of a careless decision or overlooked mistake.

She would sooner die than let that happen.

"Ayde!" She looked up, snapped out of her reverie, when she heard Wil's voice. The archer gave her a big grin and an even bigger salute. "We cleared 'em all out in our part of the ruins. You should've seen Rave here – he was on fire!" Raven scowled fiercely when she looked at him; sure enough, there was a scorched patch of cloth on his arm. Wil chortled merrily to himself.

"It's not kind to taunt someone about unfortunate incidents like that, Wil," Lucius chided gently, but Adelessa could see the unvoiced laughter in his eyes. _Poor Raven – he's outnumbered._Lyn, at least, was content to keep from commenting on the matter. Her grin spoke volumes on the subject; there was no doubt what she felt on the matter.

When Lucius and Wil settled into what sounded like familiar and friendly debating over the definitions of fun, pranks, and necessary amounts of kindness, Adelessa turned her attention to the two archways through which she had sent the other two groups. She could see Canas' group approaching from down the way. They seemed even better off than the first group: she could see no injuries and all four were chatting amicably. When she looked down the last hallway, she was disappointed: there was no sign of Erk and the Ostians yet.

Wait – no, there was Hector, with Serra slung over his shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes. He turned the corner and ran toward the group. Matthew was right behind them. Erk took a moment to turn the corner and it became very apparent why: he walked slowly, taking careful steps backward, while he deflected fireballs and answered them with his own.

Adelessa waited until Hector and Matthew made it out of the hall before she gave her orders. "Wil, Rebecca – try to take out whatever Erk's fighting," she instructed. Hector and Matthew were too busy gasping for breath behind her to tell her any specifics on the situation, but she didn't particularly need them. The two archers positioned themselves on either side of the hallway arch, arrows to the string and ready to fire. Adelessa was impressed when she saw that no fewer than three anima mages were attacking Erk. That he could fend off that many and still be able to return fire was no small feat. _No wonder Pent is teaching him. He has talent._

While they might have been able to bully Erk and stay unharmed, the enemy mages didn't have a prayer against him and the two archers that surprised them with several arrows loosed in short succession. Erk waved wearily in thanks and trudged down the hall. Oswin offered him a canteen of water when the mage rejoined the group and he drained it.

_Now that all of the enemy units here have been neutralized, we can continue on._"Canas, can you find their commander?" Since they were further to the west, she had high hopes for his ability to spot the enemy base.

There was a long moment in which Canas peered through his monocle. Just as Adelessa was starting to wonder if she'd have to find a way to convince Hector to take up meditation – with as much twitching and fidgeting as he did, it would do him good to cultivate some more patience – the shaman answered, "Yes, I see him. There are a set of ruins to the west." Adelessa took her spyglass and trained it in that direction. "Do you see a man with more ornate robes?"

"At what appears to be the entrance of the ruins," she answered.

"He's the one you're looking for," Canas answered. Adelessa put her spyglass away only after a few more moments of observation: at least there was a fairly clear path to the ruins. There were lots of mages along the way along with a handful of more mundane foot soldiers. No cavalry, thank the spirits. She could deal with this.

"Basic formation," she decided. It served well every other time that they'd needed to travel. It was a solid one and versatile as well. "We'll move west – there's a good stretch of land before the next group of enemy units. We'll bring the fight to them – with some momentum, we should be able to make it through this fight quickly." And so, on her order, the company set off.

They had made it halfway to the ruins when the first of the enemy mages began flinging fireballs at them. The shots missed wildly, instead fizzling out as petulant flames on the ground. Wil and Rebecca answered with a volley of arrows. A couple of them found their mark and dropped the mage. Adelessa forced herself to watch while Canas summoned another one of his space-warping spells; she refused to flinch away and potentially miss something. Lucius himself was gathering a spell, sparkles of light flickering around him. A fireball danced in Erk's hand, waiting to be thrown-

When suddenly chills tingled down Adelessa's spine. All of the magic around them died in an instant. The spells blinked out as if they had been doused. Serra reeled next Adelessa; she would have reached out to steady her if her knees hadn't suddenly gone shaky as well. Hector quickly caught Serra; Kent's steady hand on her shoulder grounded Adelessa. While everyone looked a bit shaky, it was her magic-users that seemed the worst off. Lucius leaned heavily against Raven. He was almost as pale as his robes. Erk was standing under his own power, but he swayed dangerously on his feet. Priscilla slouched in the saddle, her eyes tightly closed.

Of all of them, Canas appeared to be doing the best. While pale, he was murmuring to himself. When nothing happened after a long moment, he nodded absently and took off his monocle. "For some reason, there's no way we can perform magic," he informed Adelessa. "I'd imagine the enemies in our immediate area are equally impaired."

Adelessa ignored the queasy unease in the pit of her stomach and focused on what the shaman was saying instead. "Do you have any idea what could cause this?"

"Elder magic of some sort could have done this, though I can't fathom the power necessary for such a feat. If that was so, I would still be able to see or at least feel the workings. Since I can't, it's more likely to be a magic seal; that's no less impressive, to be honest. Magic seals are rare – very few are crafted." Adelessa only gave him enough attention to note the information. She was otherwise occupied with trying to discern what the enemy mages were looking at to the north. She turned her spyglass in that direction and realized that they were staring at a rather odd-looking figure. It looked like a man, though with strange proportions, who was dressed in a colorless cloak. The hood was drawn up and obscured his face. The tight feeling in her stomach twisted while she looked at him.

"Could a magic seal be a person?"

"What?" Erk, who had been quietly debating with Canas, stared at her oddly. Adelessa handed him the spyglass. "Well. Elimine bless." He peered through it for a moment before he returned the object. "It might as well be Touched for being able to reach us all the way out here."

"Except one can't be Touched and still embody the antithesis of magic," Canas argued. "It's not like the magic seal is the same kind of phenomenon as the three branches of magic – it isn't like Elimine-" Canas quieted when Adelessa cleared her throat. "Regardless, if we can get out of its radius of influence, magic will be accessible to us once again."

Adelessa ran through her options. "For now, it might be best just to continue toward the enemy commander. As long as this phenomenon continues, it's in our best interest to take advantage of it. I know it's uncomfortable," she apologized to the magic-users, "but this may be the best bet for us to get up to the commander without having to wade through more mages and shamans." Reassured by them that they would manage, she paused for a moment more. _This is the best plan, right?_She hadn't felt this unsure of herself in quite some time. The unease of being in the sealed area was not helping her fatigue. Regardless, there was no time to waste. "Move out!"

There wasn't a single mage or shaman in sight as they moved forward. A small band of foot soldiers met them in the blind spot on the other side of the hill; half of them fled from the fight as soon as they saw how badly they were outnumbered. "Go after them!" Adelessa ordered when she saw one of the soldiers fumble for a horn on his belt. A retreat toward reinforcements and fleeing were two very different things. "Don't let them pass on any messages!" When she caught Sain's eye, she motioned that she wanted to ride with him. He swung past her and hoisted her up behind him.

"Normally you hang back on stuff like this," he said as they rode just behind Kent. "What's up?" They galloped to the north and west, catching up to the fleeing foot soldiers quickly.

"I want to be there if any surrender and offer information – I need to know more about their commander so that I can plan for our fight against him." She stopped talking when he drew his horse up short and blocked the path of the running soldiers.

"Ah-ah-ah!" he said, mock-cheerfully. "I don't think you want to blow that horn. This is your chance to surrender and make nice." The three men almost looked like they wanted to fight, even though Kent was sidling next to Sain. When they glanced over their shoulders, though, all the fight went out of them: seeing Hector and Eliwood leading the company toward them was a strong deterrent to their intention of causing a ruckus.

"We surrender," the one with the horn sighed, tossing it on the ground. Adelessa slid off of Sain's horse and walked between the two Caelin knights.

"Thank you," she said. "I'd like you to answer a few questions for me." One of the men shuffled nervously but nodded after a second. "You're members of the Black Fang organization, correct? Who is commanding you here?"

"Aion," he replied reluctantly. "He's a sage – specializes in thunder-magic, you see. He's a commander in the Black Fang." He rubbed his arms. "Got a nasty long-range spell he likes to use, he does. Mean as a dock-dog." Looking plaintively at Adelessa, the man held up his arms. "You're not gonna kill us, are you?"

"I wasn't planning on it," she replied. "Tell me – what do you know of the magic seal going on here?" The man answered that with the sign of Elimine; when she asked the question again, he answered in a more helpful manner.

"Him's right unnatural. Never seen anything like it before I came here – reckon I don't wanta see nothing like it after I leave, neither. It's only the second time I saw'im, but he's no less creepy. Doesn't say anything, doesn't do anything – just shows up, stands, and disappears again. Elimine keep the peace!"

That wasn't a reassuring answer. She'd have to ask Canas and Erk about it later. For now, she had one more question for him, though she doubted she'd get a helpful answer. "What is Nergal trying to do here? Do you know?"

"No one knows what he's up to, only that Brendan says we're to help 'im, so we do. He's got a couple of them lords at that big ol' ruin to the northwest." The man jerked his thumb in the direction. "Gives me the willies."

She saw Canas inspecting something out of the corner of her eye. "Thank you, gentlemen," Adelessa said. Something was bothering her. Some part of her intuition was itching in the back of her mind. "You've helped me – if you'll go over by the knight in the red there, he'll figure out what to do with you. Kent, do as you see fit; I trust your judgment. Sain, give him a hand." The knights started to lead the three over to the group, still about a hundred yards back. They'd traveled quite a bit in their mad rush to catch the fleeing men.

Adelessa thought she'd take the moment of quiet to check what was going on with the magic seal and the commander of the enemy forces. Just like what the man who surrendered said, it was still standing in the exact place and position it had been when she first caught sight of it. She brushed away her goosebumps with a few brisk rubs. She watched Canas drag his heel through the dirt for a couple of seconds before she brought the spyglass back to her eye.

It took a moment to spot the commander in the ruins: he was pacing agitatedly and it was hard to keep her vision centered on him with how quickly and unpredictably he was moving. Still, it was almost humorous to watch. _Stymied by the magic seal?_ Adelessa wanted to ask, feeling a little bit smug. If not for his magic being cancelled by the magic seal to his east, she would be a great deal more concerned about his Bolting spell. As it was, though, she'd be able to avoid it with careful planning. _It's too bad that you're stuck in its area of influence_-

She nearly dropped her spyglass when her logic caught up with her. _Spirits! The border!_Elimine, how could she have lost track of the distance like that? She was probably well and over it now! No, Canas had wandered close to where she was and he didn't look like he was feeling all that great. He was probably still in the area of effect, so she should be fairly safe. Still, it wouldn't hurt to get back to what she knew was safe. She quickly began to check her surroundings to make sure there was nothing out of place, saw that Canas' hand glowed with purple light past the line he'd drawn, half turned around to finish her sweep-

- and found herself staring at a mage with his hand stretched out at her.

_Oh, no._

Not unlike when she was injured in Araphen, time slowed to a crawl. She had a moment to note the jagged yellow decorations on his robes – _Thunder mage,_ her mind supplied – and the sparks that danced down his arms and leaped on his fingertips. Canas was looking up; she heard him start to call for her to come back to the group. Her spyglass finally fell from her fingers – _metal wouldn't feel good if it melted to your skin,_her mind had advised them and shock did the rest – to rest at her feet.

The sparks on his fingers joined in the air before his palm, spinning into a lightning bolt. It raced forward, a murderous lance. Yellow-white, jagged fingers of lightning reached for her. They struck her chest, sank into it, and branched around her to grip her in an electric fist. At first the pain was too great for her to do anything but wheeze out a breath. Then it got too great for her to do anything but _scream_ in agony. The ground dropped out from under her feet and her back arched in exquisite pain. Her mind went blank for an instant that stretched into an excruciating eternity. In it, she could feel the sparks dancing on-_through_-under her skin, knife-nails dragging along already burning nerves.

And then, in the height of her pain, she felt something break. It started deep in her chest as a little pinprick of a hole. Had it been there before? She didn't know. But it started to _tear_, to get wider, happily devouring all that it touched. It greedily reached into her pounding heart and stilled it with hot-cold claws. It was a black abyss that spread through her, stealing anything it touched.

Distantly Adelessa felt the impacts of her torso, limbs, head hitting the ground as she crumpled in a graceless heap. She didn't care; it was no concern, none at all, not next to the infinite black maw where her heart used to be that swallowed up all of her senses. She wanted to gasp for breath, to cry out, to call for help, to tell Erk and Serra and Matthew just what was wrong with her, but just fighting to breathe was a task that nearly defeated her. When she tried to string together some sort of logic, her thoughts flowed away from her like spilled water. Her emotions followed when she tried to bolster herself with determination, happiness, anger – _anything,_ but it all drained into the nothing where her heart used to be_._

"Aydie! _Aydie!_"

Gray and black swirled around the sides of her vision before it started to fade in and out. First she saw grass and dirt – the sky – Matthew's face. Hands ran over her – at her forehead brushing her hair back, her wrists, the pulse point in her neck – and gathered her up. His face tilted in her vision; she dimly recognized the fright on it. _He shouldn't be scared,_ thought some part of her that was marginally functional. _Matthew's supposed to be strong enough to manage without getting scared._She could just barely hear him calling her name, as faint as the touches had been. It sounded like it came from far in the distance.

"Aydie, no, no no no, c'mon, stay with me!"

Her next breath died stillborn in her chest; icy hands had closed around her lungs and kept them squeezed shut. Roaring in her ears drowned out the frantic iterations of her name and deafened her to anything but the whispering lullaby of silence. Matthew's face swam in her vision before twin curtains closed on her vision. Her head lolled on her neck; her muscles went slack. Adelessa stopped fighting and gave in to the emptiness within her. The white static in her ears subsided just long enough for her to hear Matthew again.

"Breathe, breathe, _breathe_, Aydie, _please_. No - _no_, don't you _dare_pass out on me!"

That, too, faded away and a heavy finality settled on her soul. _That's it,_ she thought. _I'm done._She couldn't see or hear or move. Time trickled away, meaningless. Nothing hurt anymore. The darkness started to wrap itself around her thoughts, a cold but gentle blanket.

She drifted.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Fade to black. Roll credits.


	29. A Little Moment of Desperation

A Little Moment of Desperation

Grief was easy to bury under anger.

That's why Matthew made sure to keep his fury toward the Black Fang simmering. He could go miles further on anger than sadness. Sorrow would drag you down, choke you, and slow you to a crawl. Anger? It was a much better force – it grabbed you by the collar of your shirt and dragged you off to get work done. Sure, maybe you'd get yourself in trouble because you weren't watching your back as well as you should be, but Matthew wasn't worried about that. He was good at watching his back. Part of that whole thief and spy thing. And anyway…

Revenge was just too tantalizing to give up.

He had allowed only a few moments of grief when he'd laid Leila to rest at the bottom of the grave he dug. It had been under a large pine: she'd loved pine trees because they were always green, even in the winter. He could hardly manage to shovel the dirt back into the hole after he'd retrieved the woven bracelet she always wore. Burying her seemed so… _final._As soon as he put down the shovel, Matthew knew that he needed to continue fighting or else he'd just sit around like a lump.

Aydie, thank Elimine, must have understood that. She hadn't made a fuss about him fighting when Uhai challenged them and had spared nothing more than a couple of worried and sympathetic glances his way. At least she wasn't _hovering _like Hector was. If his lord spent any more time fussing in his own backward way, Matthew was going to defect to Pherae, so help him Elimine!

His anger carried him through all of that first battle. Maybe it had caused him to do things a little more extreme than they needed to be, but there was nothing wrong with making sure that the enemy wasn't going to get back up. Nicking the kits from the guardhouse was waved off as common sense – hey, you never know when some extra survival stuff might come in handy. None of it cooled his desire to kill as many Black Fang as possible or ruin their plans as best he could.

He could not have cared less about Aydie's decision to take a detour. Going to look at and probably wreck more of Nergal's stuff? Sure! Great! Let him at it! The mages didn't even slow him down that much: he had to be a little careful not to get caught by one, but it didn't make that much of a difference in how he fought. His mood only soured as they drew closer to the ruins. There was a moment where he was almost snapped out of his foul mood when Hector was ambushed and promptly destroyed his opposition – really, he'd just _leveled _them and how could you not appreciate such a great job of it – but having to track down and take out the ones that were hiding brought him back to scowling soon enough.

"Erk, Serra – could you go just a bit ahead of us for a moment?" Hector asked when they left the rest of the group. When they hesitated, his lord waved at them and scowled until the mage and cleric were far enough away for his liking.

"Do you think you should let them go off without a chaperone?" Matthew quipped before Hector could even start to say anything. "You know, they're young and feisty. Next they'll be making those mages run because of them necking." Hector stared at him; he returned it.

"Don't think I haven't noticed what you're doing." Matthew didn't even try for an innocent face; he couldn't be bothered to live up to his usual japery. Besides, Hector was serious. "You're going to get yourself killed if you keep throwing yourself into fights like that, and _then _where would you be?"

"It's not a problem," Matthew said. "See? I'm still in one piece, Black Fang fighters are getting killed, and Aydie and Serra aren't throwing fusses. There's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to- _nothing to_ _worry about_?" Hector could never manage to string together a proper sentence whenever he got upset like this. "Are you- you're seriously trying to say that, that you going off on a self-destructive bender is _nothing to worry about?_" His lord was practically beside himself. In any other situation, this would have been uproariously funny. "Serra's been concerned, you ignorant lout, but she knows better than to say anything to you! Aydie isn't throwing a fit because she _can't_. She doesn't have time to mollycoddle you – if you say you're fit for fighting, then she has to take your word for it! Eliwood said that she was sick and not sleeping and do you _really _think she had the energy to hold your hand while she tries to keep us all from dying?" It was standoff: Hector scowled at his spy and Matthew glared right back.

"I don't need Serra's advice or Aydie to babysit me," he bit off. "I manage fine on my own, _my lord._You seem to have forgotten that. Or did you just forget that taking care of myself is my whole job description?"

"No, I haven't forgotten," Hector snapped back, his voice only a shred of willpower away from shouting. "I also haven't forgotten how it feels to lose someone you love. Thought I'd throw that out there before you try to accuse me of that, too!"

"Yeah, and I'm dealing just fine with the loss. Hey, look, no gaping wounds or anything, imagine that!" Each word was heavy with sarcasm and Matthew gave Hector a mocking grin. "I've got my head screwed on fine and there's no problem here." No doubt that would have goaded Hector into a full-blown bout of yelling – there was nothing like being mocked that would get him in a pet – but shouts from further down the hall cut him off. Apparently Erk and Serra walked faster than they had anticipated – _Or we were just fighting longer than we thought. How long was it, anyway? _When he couldn't remember how long they'd been standing there, Matthew dismissed the upset and unease that came with the realization. You couldn't worry about things like that when there was a fight to win.

Only this one looked like it wasn't one that he could help with. Serra was ran around the corner and stopped only for a moment to look over her shoulder. Erk followed shortly after her. His face was twisted up with concentration, flicking bursts of wind from his fingers to throw fireballs into the walls. Three mages rounded the corner after him and Matthew got why they were retreating: it looked like they were more adept than the rest of the mages they'd been fighting so far. "Run!" Serra gasped when she got to him and Hector. "Erk can hold them!"

Hector didn't waste time; scooping her up, he sprinted down the hall. Matthew hesitated – did he really want to give up the chance to go after those mages with them so distracted? – when his lord's concerns came back to mind. If he went after them now, he'd only prove that Hector was right. He growled a curse under his breath and ran after the armored lord. No doubt Aydie had heard them by now and was setting something up in response, even this far down the hall.

Sure enough, he saw her clear people away from the doorway and station Rebecca and Wil there. Hector got into the main room first and Matthew was through just a second after him. He doubled over, breathing heavily; the way back had been longer than he remembered and he had run at full speed. At least he was better off than Hector: he was wheezing off to Matthew's side.

"Never – doing that – _again_," his lord gasped when he stood up. Matthew had to nod in agreement: that was about as much fun as getting a tooth pulled. That they'd left Serra and Erk alone and they'd run into those mages didn't feel good, either. He took a moment to check on her: no, she hadn't been hurt. _There. No reason for a guilty conscience. _Looking around, he saw Aydie and Canas talking on the edge of the group. She had her spyglass out; probably planning their next move.

While he waited for her to decide on whatever she deemed the best plan of attack, Matthew amused himself by thinking about what he could do to the person who ordered Leila's death. There were any number of cringe-worthy punishments that he'd seen – he'd be able to think of something that would work. Aydie's announcement that they would be heading to the west came during the middle of his musing. It kept him busy while they trudged along.

Being so distracted meant that he was taken by surprise when a fireball hit not ten feet away from him. He jumped, pulled a knife from his wrist sheath, and looked for his opponent – only to realize the mages were far away. There was no way he could get them from here. Wil and Rebecca started firing back and the magic-users started their spells.

He waited for a second to see Lucius' light flash – he was always the first to strike; something to do with his magic, he guessed. When a few ticked by without any sudden magic, Matthew looked over at where the mages all were. All five of them were chalky-faced and reeling, even the healers. Aydie swayed dangerously on her feet before Kent steadied her. Even Hector looked a bit sick. Matthew watched him carefully while Aydie started talking to Canas about how, apparently, they couldn't do magic. Motion caught his eye: the enemy mages were retreating. He thought about pursuing them and dismissed it; there was no way Aydie would let him do that on his own, much less Hector allowing it.

When Aydie said that they were going to push on, Matthew was almost disappointed. He thought that they were going to go after the mages that ran away. It looked like she had other plans. What could you do? If he started an argument now, they'd get nothing done. It ended up working out well anyways: when they got to the top of a hill, a group of six soldiers stared up at them.

Matthew, as always, shadowed his lord. While Hector went to town on one man after he broke his axe, the spy circled a swordsman more cautiously. He danced back when the fighter lunged for him, easily dodging the slash of his sword. Two quick steps brought him close enough in that he could take a swipe at his exposed chest. Hopping back, he saw that he only cut open the black shirt and scored a line in the armor beneath it. _Note: the black shirt is an overshirt. _He balanced on the balls of his feet and feinted right. The Black Fang member was laughably stupid: he fell for it like the biggest of fools. Matthew didn't give him time to regret his mistake. He stabbed him twice in the chest and once under his jaw, just to make sure. When the man fell to the ground, Matthew absently wiped off his hands and knives with a cloth and looked around. Hector had made short work of the one; Guy landed a fatal blow on the other.

Three of the fighters had cut and run. If Kent and Sain were any indication, they didn't get far. _Why'd Aydie go with them? Seems like a strange thing to do. _There was just no telling what those strange tactician types would do. The longer he knew her, the more Matthew was convinced that he'd never understand her. Not unless she spilled the beans on whatever she was keeping quiet, at least. Whatever she got so mad about him prying into probably would explain a lot more than it wouldn't. Canas was close to where the knights and tactician were, scrawling something in the dirt.

Shamans.

"Looks like they're coming back this way," Hector noted. While he still didn't seem happy with Matthew – normally he would have tried to talk to him in banter or normal conversation – at least he was speaking to him about important matters. That counted for something. "Think we should go help them out?"

"Why not?" Matthew asked in reply. _There's hardly anything else to do. _He'd much rather have the chance to help dispose of a few more Black Fang members than sit around and twiddle his thumbs. "Need any help with those three?"

"No, we've got them pretty well in hand," Kent answered. "Aydie wants us to keep an eye on them. The one gave her some good information. I don't know what she has planned for them after this." Damn. That meant she planned on keeping them alive. Aydie couldn't hurt a fly if she wasn't in the middle of combat. He couldn't imagine _why_she thought this was a good idea.

He flinched and reached up to cover one ear when noise assaulted it. A half-second later, he recognized it as a scream. It was a terrible, almost inhuman noise, and it made the hair on the back of his neck rise. Spinning to look to his left, he saw Aydie arch in the grip of a lightning spell. He could hardly believe his eyes. They'd always been careful to keep her away from mages, she should have been safe in whatever nonsense killed the magic-

He didn't know when he started to run. He certainly hadn't told his feet to move – they did that all on their own and sent him scrambling toward her. A bolt of lightning nearly hit him, if not for how he threw himself into a roll to dodge it. Arrows zipped past him; there was no way Wil could miss from this range. The electricity around her faded and she dropped in a way that Matthew had seen too many times to mistake.

_Elimine, please. Elimine, no. Not someone else. Not Aydie, too._

He skidded to a stop by her and dropped to his knees. "Aydie!" His hands hesitated in the air; how should he do this? Were you supposed to move a person who had just been hit by thunder magic like that? He'd only ever dealt with fire magic. "_Aydie!_" That popped her eyes open. Good. If she was still waking up like she always did, that meant that she wasn't too far from normal, right?

Carefully – ever-so-carefully, he rolled her over onto her back. He brushed her hair out of her face – _Good, her eyes are open still, they're moving, too. _– and tried to figure out why it felt like something was wrong. What was it? Why was there that uncomfortable knot in his chest? He reached for her wrists to move her arms into a more comfortable position. Something felt wrong under his fingers and cold trickled down his spine. No. No. There was no way he felt that right. Matthew frantically lodged two fingers against her neck.

No pulse.

"Aydie, no," he breathed. He gathered her up in his arms, and watched helplessly as her face started to turn gray. "No no no, c'mon, stay with me!" The life was fading from her eyes; every breath was a struggle for her, hitching in a chest that was falling still. This couldn't be happening, it couldn't – she was dying in his arms, she was _dying _and there was nothing he could do but watch her go. The hand pressed against her side made him all too aware that she didn't have a pulse.

He only noticed that he had been breathing in time with her when he found himself starved for air. Gasping, he sucked in a breath. Her chest wasn't moving anymore. She wasn't breathing. She wasn't breathing and she didn't have a pulse and her eyes were closing. He grabbed her chin with one hand and made her look at him, but her eyes slid shut anyway. "Breathe," he urged her. "Breathe." Her eyes slid open again, glazed and wandering. "_Breathe,_ Aydie, _please_," he pleaded. Her eyes closed again. "No – _no,_ don't you _dare _pass out on me!" Raw desperation clawed into his chest when her body went limp and her head lolled back until it hit his arm.

"Serra!" he yelled, only the cleric was already there. Someone was talking in his general direction, he thought, but that wasn't important. Her hands went to Aydie's neck right away. She hesitated, looked over her shoulder, and Matthew couldn't bring himself to care. "Fix her," he whispered. He had just started to get to know her – he didn't even understand her yet – they had so many practices to get through before she would be any good with a knife, damn it-

"Matthew," and his name hitched in a way he knew meant bad news when she used that soft tone of voice. She couldn't die – she hadn't told him what she was too scared to say yet. She wasn't done proving that she was the best tactician in Elibe, anyone with eyes could see that she wanted to prove it to everyone who doubted her-

Strong hands took Aydie from him. "Matthew, we have to go," Hector said. He was using his _lord voice_, the one he only ever bothered with when he meant business, the one that made Matthew wonder if he would make a good marquess after all. "If we don't move, the mages will overtake us."

He'd forgotten that they were on a battlefield. Matthew got to his feet with numb legs and saw that every member of the group had formed a protective ring around them. The faces he could see were either blank with shock or, in the cases of those who hadn't known her well, had grim determination to keep fighting. Mages were creeping toward their cluster, though the mages, archers, and those with javelins were doing a good job of keeping them away for now. "Back into the sealed area!" Eliwood ordered when he saw that Hector had the tactician. _Without Aydie ordering it, it feels like a retreat._

They fell back like it was a retreat, too: all scrambling and rush and none of the careful control that they had when Aydie was in charge. The few mad seconds passed in a blur. They stopped when the mages finally hung back and simply watched them go; Serra, Priscilla, Erk, Canas, and Lucius all crowded around the downed tactician after Hector laid her on the ground. Matthew was glad that he wasn't there – even the thought of having to listen to the monk speak the rites later was enough to make him want to be ill. He did the next best thing: joined the other fighters and got ready to rumble.

The mages might have stopped, but the normal fighters weren't bothered by whatever had the magic users out of commission. It was easier to ignore whatever Serra was saying and doing behind him when he was so focused on watching the approach of the Black Fang members. Sliding two curved knives out of sheathes on his belt, Matthew dropped into his ready stance. The fighting was going to be rough: they couldn't move around like they were used to, not until Serra gave the okay or one of the lords decided that they had to cut their losses and get the hell out of dodge.

He really, really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

There was a sniffle to his left. When he glanced over, he saw Rebecca's face set in an expression of determination and wet cheeks as she brought an arrow to the string. Next to her was Wil, who hadn't cried but looked just as forlorn. Sain was absolutely furious. Kent's calming influence was the only thing that kept him from going out and attacking the mages himself, Matthew was sure. Lyn looked… lost. She had known Aydie the longest of all of them. Florina was crying hard enough that she could barely hold her spear; Fiora was trying to comfort her and get her to pull herself together. Matthew couldn't see anyone else from where he stood, but he was sure that the rest of them had similar reactions.

This was all noted over the course of a second or two. He'd finished his last observation as Rebecca fired her first shot. Matthew shifted his weight uneasily from foot to foot; this wasn't the kind of fight he liked. He was stuck in this spot. _With the way my luck's been going, I'm probably going to end up facing off against one of those heavily-armored guys out there. _He rolled his wrists to loosen them up and shook out his shoulders. He'd need all the help he could get in this fight.

Matthew's luck must have decided to prove him wrong: instead of fighting off a knight, he got a swordsman. A mercenary type – slow enough that he could dance around him, lightly armored around the armpit and neck, and strong enough that he _really _shouldn't risk getting hit with that sword. Skipping to one side to dodge a cleaving strike, Matthew set up a cross-block with both knives to intercept the diagonal overhead slice that followed it. While he'd been fighting with only one knife lately – he was trying to show Aydie proper technique – he was even better with two. When he felt the force on his knives change, Matthew slid out from the block and stepped right and forward at the same time. A clumsy swipe was easy to dodge and left the mercenary's armpit wide open. Matthew cut deep into it and blood spilled down his knife. It was a good spot to hit – not only would it make a man bleed out in a few minutes, but it rendered him unable to fight. If nothing else, Matthew knew what points to hit to get the job done.

Realizing that he'd moved too far forward, he backpedaled fast and closed up the gap he'd left in the ring. As much as he didn't want to, he caught snatches of Serra's voice through everything else: little snippets like "magical interference" and "have to get her to breathe" and "come on, Aydie, you can do it" made it to him. He searched desperately for something else he could focus on. Listening to that was only going to wear out the last of his nerves.

This time he ended up focusing on a knight that lumbered toward him. _Guess I was just a little bit off about my luck,_ Matthew thought. Heavily armored, slow, and strong – he could avoid any number of attacks simply by being faster than the knight, but he wouldn't be able to dent that armor. He had a better reach with that spear anyways. Chances of getting close enough to do any damage were pretty slim. The first thrust was aimed at his stomach and went straight forward; he dodged it easily by sidestepping and leaning well away from it. He ducked under the swipe that followed behind it and slipped back into place. No _way _was he going to let this guy through.

"Matthew, down!" He dropped into a full crouch with one hand on the ground for balance; when Hector started shouting things like that in the middle of a fight, you _listened. _A throwing axe whizzed past him and struck a glancing blow against the knight's off-shoulder. Hector charged past his spy and caught the spear in a neat lock with his axe. He gave a sharp twist and it broke in three pieces. A bludgeoning strike knocked the knight down and left a deep crease across his chest. Hector crunched down his axe for a finishing blow and offered Matthew a hand up.

Taking it, Matthew resisted the urge to look over his shoulder at the people they were guarding. His need to _know things _wanted him to at least see what was going on. That wasn't a good idea – if what he heard from Serra was any indication, things weren't going well and he didn't want to watch Aydie die. There were enough people who would see that happen without him adding to that.

Aydie, dead. Elimine, that was a hard thought to handle.

"Excellent work, my lord," he said to Hector. "I see sparring every morning with Oswin paid off. How many of his lances did you break?"

"Three," Hector admitted. "But it was well worth it-"

Matthew drove his shoulder into Hector's armored stomach. The lord staggered out of the way, clutching his gut, just in time to avoid a stab from a myrmidon. Catching the next slice on his knives, the spy yelled, "Talking can wait until we're not under attack, my lord!" He kept the sword in a lock and kicked the other man in the thigh. His heel hit hard enough that the myrmidon's leg immediately buckled; from there, it was easy to finish him off.

"Next time give me some warning," Hector wheezed. "I thought we taught you to shout when you got attacked."

"Who, me?" The banter was a reassuring constant and an unlikely comfort. He and Hector bounced words off of each other all the time; it kept the lord sharp and the spy occupied when either was bored or needed a distraction. "Young master, you know better than that." It was so regular that he could manage it even when sick with fear for Aydie. Apparently Hector could manage it too, though his voice was strained. Matthew realized that his wasn't much better.

"Lord Eliwood!" Serra's voice was shaking. "If we need to move, we can." Matthew's heart sank. That meant she was done – there was nothing more that she could try. If there was nothing more she could try, if she was giving up - no, Serra _didn't _give up, she was the most stubborn person he knew. She was more persistent than Hector and Aydie and even himself combined-

Then that was it: Aydie was dead. There wasn't anything else to say about it. Period. End of story.

_Who let her wander that far away? Why hadn't she kept track of where she was going? Shouldn't she have had someone watching for something like this? _The angry questions whirled through his mind when Hector went over to Serra. He strapped his axe on his back and carefully picked up the green-robed body. With their new ability to move, the group fell into their normal mobile formation. Serra kept Hector with her in the middle of the group. Sain and Kent cleared the immediate area around them and started making a path toward the mountain to the east.

"Matthew-"

"Busy!" He gave Serra a disbelieving glance over his shoulder. If in doubt, try to make yourself as unapproachable as possible. If you act busy and irritated enough, people will leave you alone.

He forgot that he was talking to Serra. "Matthew-"

"Serra, it can wait!" He watched the approaching enemies. They had the luxury of advancing slowly now that their group had their backs against the mountain. There was nowhere to run.

"This is important!"

"And so is making sure no one else dies - Oswin, get her out of here!" Technically he couldn't order Oswin to do anything - they were about equal as far as clout was concerned - but it might just be enough to keep Serra from saying what Matthew didn't want to hear. The knight must have had at least some luck: Serra didn't say anything else by the time the enemy got in range.

Matthew lost himself in the fighting. For the first time in a long time, he didn't have to watch out for Hector. He didn't have to worry about orders or directions, about grand plans or special strategies. He didn't have to hold back. Because of that, he could stop thinking. A few minutes passed - he was aware enough to keep track of that. Beyond that, though? Beyond that, he was only watching for the next strike, the next opening, where he could sink his knives in _deep _and make them pay for what they did, for what their kind did. Others fought near him, but none with the same fire that he did. Only Sain came close, and he was always the one to get worked up.

Bodies were scattered around their group. They had warded off the attack and now there wasn't anything to distract himself with. Matthew couldn't help but hear, "Well, that's all we could do," from Erk. He didn't sound nearly as upset as he should have been for someone who had his eyes on Aydie. Matthew turned on his heel, fully intending to let him know just what he thought about his attitude on the matter of someone dying, and stopped still. He couldn't believe what he saw.

It was hard to see, but Aydie's chest was moving.

She was alive.

"We'll have to wait until she wakes up," Erk was saying, "to see if we moved fast enough. With luck, she'll be just fine." Matthew walked over to them and stared for a moment. Sure enough – maybe she was still pale, but she was breathing and, when he reached hesitantly for her pulse, it beat gently in her wrist.

"You're a jerk," Serra told him when he gripped her in a tight hug. "Making Oswin drag me away was _rude_. You're lucky I'm so forgiving." She gave his shoulder a few pats. "Matthew, you're embarrassing me. You _know _I don't like such blatant shows of gratitude like this."

"Oh, shut up," he muttered. He drew back and stared at her for a moment. She'd been an unfortunate constant – oh, fine, she wasn't _so _bad – in his life ever since she'd arrived in Ostia. Neither of them could really stand the other on a day-to-day basis, they were forever quarreling, they couldn't fight well together if at all – but at this moment, Matthew had never been so glad to have the obnoxious cleric as a friend. "Thank you."

She gave him a smile; it was genuine and warm, not her normal ingratiating one. "You're welcome." Serra nodded over at Erk. "Though he was the one who had the idea to use non-magical resuscitation methods-" The mage shrugged in a terribly eloquent response. He abruptly dropped to one knee when Aydie made a quiet noise. Those who were close enough to hear crowded around in a tight group; Matthew was smashed between Serra and Erk.

They were all disappointed when she quieted back down and lay just as still as she had been earlier. "Well, it was overly hopeful that she would recover consciousness so soon," Erk sighed. "For now, it's enough that she's breathing again." A collective sigh of relief rippled through the group. Matthew almost couldn't believe that she was going to be fine. He'd been so sure that was the end of it for her. _Thank Elimine that it isn't._

"Well, no use standing around here waiting for people to jump on us," Hector said. "Aydie'd scold us if she knew we were sitting here and twiddling our thumbs. Let's finish this fight and call it a day." Matthew looked up at his lord and raised an eyebrow. "Stop giving me that. Kent, you said you know some tactics, right?"

"I do. I'd be willing to stand in as the tactician for the rest of this fight, should you so choose."

"Eliwood? Are you fine with this?" When Eliwood agreed with Hector's judgment, the blue-haired lord clapped his hands together and nodded sharply. "Then that's settled. Kent, we're in your hands. What do you want us to do?" The Caelin knight looked startled for a moment before he recovered his poise. He looked over at his subcommander and started speaking.

"Sain, take Aydie. I want you to keep her safe. Besides that…" Kent trailed off and studied the situation. Matthew watched as he looked around. "Let's stay in this general formation. It looks like the magic seal – that's what you called it, correct? – is close enough to the commander that his magic won't be able to harm us. If we kill him, we might be able to use those ruins as a place to stay for the night." It was pretty straightforward and Kent knew what he was doing, but Matthew still would have felt better if Aydie was the one handing out orders. He helped Erk carefully hoist Aydie up high enough that Sain could carefully situate her in front of him.

The little siege that they'd fought off had left hardly any normal troops around. It made traveling toward the commander so much easier, though that didn't stop Matthew from being jumpy. A mage had gotten the jump on Aydie; he wasn't going to let anyone else give him the bag. Remaining in the area of the magic seal kept the enemy mages from coming after them. Matthew had to fight to keep from letting his mind wander to thoughts of revenge with the lack of immediate threats. Indulging in fanciful flights of imagined vengeance hadn't helped anyone. If anything, his lack of attention could lead to another case of a surprise attack. It'd happened enough to him as a spy and thief, after all – why wouldn't it happen in a fight like this?

Luckily for everyone involved, they didn't run into any trouble on their way to the other set of ruins. Aydie had done nothing more than shift once, which Sain took in stride with a careful arm around her waist. Erk hovered close to them with his book open. Matthew recognized the look in his eyes: it challenged anyone to try and attack Aydie. _I hadn't realized that those two were so close. Huh. Go figure. _He gave a mental shrug and turned his attention to the commander.

He had a couple of foot soldiers in front of him, but it was obvious that he was scared. They were close enough that he would have shot off magic if he could. That he hadn't meant that this fight was over and the enemy just hadn't bothered to lie down yet. The soldiers fell quickly to arrows and javelins; Matthew realized that he wasn't the only person who had taken exception to the people who tried to kill Aydie. The three lords made short work of the enemy mage. _You idiot – did you really try to fight with a belt knife? I don't think I've heard of anything that stupid in a long time._

Matthew looked over in the direction of the figure that Canas had pointed out as the magic seal while they were traveling. Every hair stood upright when he saw that its hood was turned at him – no, not at _him_, at Aydie. He reached for his daggers and stepped in the way of the thing's stare. If it was going to attack, it would have to get through him first. Aydie suffered enough already today.

To his immense surprise, the figure didn't attack. It turned away and, with a '_pop!_' he felt in his chest more than heard, disappeared into thin air. As soon as it disappeared, Matthew saw a flicker of light sparkle around Lucius and Erk jerk mid-step. "The magic seal is gone," Matthew said for the benefit of those who weren't as in tune with magic.

"That's it, then." Eliwood sighed and put away his rapier. He looked around and rubbed the back of his neck. "Is everyone well? No injuries?"

"Doesn't look like it – well, besides Aydie, of course," Hector amended. Matthew stepped over to wait by his lord as usual. "Serra, are you going to take care of Aydie?" Serra gave him such a scathing look that it was impossible _not _to laugh, which made her scowl all the more. "Do they teach clerics that special in the Church or does it come naturally for you?" Hector teased.

"It comes naturally for anyone dealing with you, my lord," Matthew replied. He made sure to keep his face perfectly straight, even while Hector growled at him. Their small group silently watched as the rest of the company made their way into the ruins.

"Eliwood," Lyn said, "I apologize for my behavior earlier." She looked genuinely contrite and a little bit ashamed, just like she had every time she'd lost her temper a year before. Matthew had seen this face a couple of times after she apologized for her bias against thieves. "I said things I had no right or cause to say."

"No – listen, I'm the one who should be sorry," Hector said, cutting off whatever Eliwood had to say. "You were in the right – well, at least for the most part. I was shouting without thinking."

"If I hadn't picked at you…."

"It's no one's fault." Eliwood's voice was firm enough that both Lyn and Hector stopped talking. "There is – or, well, there was an eerie power at work here." The puzzled looks from the other two lords must have made him add, "I don't feel it anymore, but… It was a terribly unsettling feeling. It might have had something to do with where magic was nullified."

"Now that you mention it, I was more irritable than normal." Lyn frowned. "I couldn't let the smallest thing pass without complaining about it." Matthew realized that his thirst for revenge had lessened now that the magic seal was gone. By no means had it gone away completely, but he no longer had the same mindless urge to fight. "What could that have been? The Black Fang mages were just as hampered by it, so I don't think it was one of their allies."

"Who knows?" Hector asked. "It's gone now, so it's not worth wasting the breath and effort talking about it. Instead of worrying about it, we should go and settle in. Might as well take advantage of this break." Hector rattled away, followed by Lyn and Eliwood.

Matthew stayed outside for a while. Today had been a very, very long day. He was tired to the bone, but he didn't want to go into the ruins just yet. He ran a hand through his hair and sat down on a fallen column. _Elimine grant me blessings and patience,_ he thought. His hands dropped into his lap when he craned his neck back to look up at the sky. _I think I'll need it._ He wasn't going to cry – there wasn't any time for tears, not now, and he'd already done some grieving this morning – but that didn't help the hollow, angry ache in his chest. _Elimine, spirits, we need all the help we can get._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Here you go! A much nicer chapter than last week's. :3 Thanks to my ever-lovely beta **Ryan** for his help in proofreading and giving gentle suggestions for constant improvement. Thanks to my reviewers - **AccessBlade, Drachegirl14, rnn21, Raven the Blood witch, MilleniaMaster, patattack, Tom-Ato13, angelbeets, Sentury, Solyeuse, Sethera, Sparks101, **and **AquaticSilver**! You inspire me so much! :'3

Well! It sounds like most people want to see interactions/thoughts of Aydie toward other characters. Since we've surpassed the 200 review mark (omg guys afdadsfas YOU GUYS) I'll try to get that written up quickly!

Until next time~


	30. A Glimpse in Time

A Glimpse in Time

Consciousness pulled gently but relentlessly at her. She rose slowly through striated layers of sleep and wakefulness until she finally surfaced into being fully awake. Eyelids as heavy as lead were loathe to open, but Adelessa fought against them until they did. A familiar face hovered over her, but her bleary vision couldn't make out the details. She knew, though, that the person was someone who was looking out for her. "Pent?" Her voice sounded like a stranger's, all creaky and breathy.

"No – it's Erk." _Ah._ His face came into focus after she recognized his voice. It was quiet, like the room and, she'd guess, the hallway beyond it. The light was low; a lamp was turned down to a barely-lit tongue of flame and only the slightest hint of sun crept in through the window. It meant that it was either early morning or late evening. With how quiet it was, Adelessa guess that it was the former: the others would be practicing and sparring and making all kinds of noise if it was after dinner. She resting on something lumpy; it felt like a mattress of some sort. _Perhaps clothing is padding it? _she wondered.

"I dreamed that I died."

"You _did _die," the mage told her.

"Oh." Adelessa took the news with a surprising amount of serenity. Taking a moment to digest that piece of news seemed like a good idea, so she settled more fully into the pillow and stared at the ceiling. Erk busied himself with something else while she thought over it. The events of her death came back to her. The magic seal, the mage, the inky blackness into which she'd drifted…. That scared her more than the actual pain. "I'm sorry."

"Tell that to Serra – she's going to give you an earful when she gets back," Erk warned. "We're lucky that she was there." Adelessa nodded slightly and decided that she felt adventurous enough to try sitting up. He helped prop her up with pillows. While she might not admit it out loud, she was glad for the assistance: without the help, she doubted that her shaky limbs would have managed to keep her up. "Your heart stopped when you were hit with the Thunder spell," he continued. "We think that the lingering magic in your system was negated when we entered the magic seal's area of influence. Serra was able to bring you back."

"Oh, good." She took stock of how she felt. Tired, for one, though in a different way than she had been feeling. It was less fatigue and more an ache in her bones. Dying probably had something to do with that. Beyond that she was hungry and thirsty, but not so badly that she couldn't function. Her mind was fuzzy and slow with sleep. "Could I have some water? And is there any food around?" She tried not to sound too weak.

"I have some water here, but no food. Just a moment." Erk moved across the room, where a pitcher sat next to a plain cup. He poured it for her and offered it when he returned. It might have been room temperature, but it was wet and made a dent in Adelessa's thirst. She wasn't going to complain. They both stared at the door in anticipated horror when Serra's unmistakable voice sounded in the hall. The tactician quickly handed Erk the cup.

The door flew open and Serra stood in the doorway with an armful of cloth; Adelessa recognized it as her over-tunic. "Erk!" she scolded. "You were supposed to tell me when Aydie woke up, you silly boy! How am I supposed to work with help like this? Tsk! It's a wonder that I get _any_ work done!" The cleric bustled over to a spare chair, laid out the green top on it, and shook her finger at Erk. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to follow instruction from those in charge?" The poor mage didn't have the chance to respond; Serra instead whirled and stared down Adelessa. The brunette felt younger than she had in years when the pink-haired woman put her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "And what did you think that you were doing? This is the second time I've had to work on you when you're too _silly _to take care of yourself! Now really, when did it become a good idea for the girl who can't be healed to wander around where a mage could zap her?"

She had to try to stand up for herself. "I didn't mean for that to happen," Adelessa protested weakly. It didn't nearly match up to the gloriously exasperated look that Serra gave her. Erk made a face of utmost sympathy from over Serra's shoulder while he hid from her wrath. She couldn't blame him for wanting to stay out of the cleric's war path.

"Of _course_ you didn't mean for it to happen," Serra said, her voice showing that she had barely a scrap of patience for Adelessa's explanation. "No one _means _to be hit with a bolt of lightning in the middle of a fight. That doesn't mean," the cleric continued with a softer tone, "that you didn't scare us."

All of a sudden Adelessa was struck both by just how bad the situation had been and how wonderful Serra and Erk and everyone else who had helped her was. They could have left her behind and gotten away faster without her as dead weight, but they had instead chosen to save her. _I can believe it, but – but it's so much_.

Serra must have seen her starting to get worked up: the next thing she knew, the cleric had swooped forward and was giving her a tight hug. "Hush," she said. "Sh, you're safe now." Adelessa buried her face in Serra's sympathetic shoulder for a few moments, working hard to keep from crying. After a few shaky minutes and a big sigh from the tactician, Serra said, "There. Do you feel better?" When Adelessa nodded into her shoulder, the pink-haired woman pulled back and grinned at her. "Don't worry – I'm sure you'll find a way to pay me back later!"

"Well, those are words to scare even the bravest of souls." Hector grinned at Adelessa from the doorway. He leaned against it with his arms crossed over his chest; he was only wearing half of his armor instead of the full battle gear. "It's good to see you awake, Aydie."

"It's good to be awake," she replied. Her smile was no smaller than his. "What are you doing up so early?" She was willing to hazard the chance that she'd sound silly; even Hector would hesitate to tease a person for getting the time wrong right after all that she'd been through.

"I've been on watch. Wil and Lowen are just finishing up breakfast. Figured I'd come in and check if your tenders were hungry – both of them have been sitting up with you all night, you know." _That means I've only been out overnight – that's not so bad. _"Actually, where'd Matthew go? I thought he was sulking around here."

"He was getting in the way," Serra replied primly. "I couldn't get anything done with him hovering the way he was, so I kicked him out." Her arch demeanor dropped when she added, "Matthew was all worn out. He had a hard day yesterday – I wanted him to get some rest. I think he needs more of it. You should give him more time off," she scolded the blue-haired lord.

"You say that like it's my fault," Hector grumbled, rolling his eyes theatrically. He grinned when Adelessa laughed. _Oh, you sneak – you were _trying _to get me to laugh, weren't you?_ "Anyway – I guess I'll rattle around here for a while before I give everyone the good news." Adelessa grinned when Serra made shooing motions at him. _She just doesn't care about rank at all. Oh, Serra_. "You don't get to shoo me!" he told her incredulously as he stepped around the cleric and made his way over to where Adelessa was sitting on the bed. "You had us scared. I don't think Lyn's going to let you anywhere close to a mage for the next several years."

"I hope she doesn't mind Erk being around, then," Adelessa pointed out. Her smile ruined the deadpan delivery she had tried to give. Lyn's protective streak toward both Adelessa and Ninian were fast becoming legendary among those who hadn't been around during the Caelin incident. "But I don't particularly want to be close to another Thunder spell like that for the next several years, so I think we'll be able to work something out."

Hector chuckled and shook his head at her. "Oh, I don't know why we were even worried. You're just fine if you can make cracks like that." He looked between her and Erk for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason why Lyn should have to be okay with him hanging around?"

If he was expecting some sort of flustered denial or flailing, Adelessa was afraid that she'd have to disappoint him. She shrugged a little and gave a sheepish grin. "My foster father wanted him to keep an eye on me." When all Hector did was raise his eyebrow higher, Adelessa smiled a little bit wider. "Why, Hector, I'd never thought you'd be so vested in my romantic life," she said, teasing and gently reprimanding in equal parts. He at least looked bashful, though not sorry for asking. "No, we're not involved." Erk was too busy bickering with Serra on the other side of the room to pay much attention to their conversation.

"I was just wondering, sheesh," he grumbled. He relented with a muttered, "Maybe it was a bit rude," when Adelessa just stared at him for a few seconds. "I was just wondering since you two seem to be together a lot! Elimine _bless_, can't I get a break?"

"Never, young master – it's your lot in life to be constantly under fire." Adelessa could see why Serra had sent Matthew to bed: he looked worn and haggard, with deep bags under his eyes. "They say it builds character, you know." He went over to stand near Hector; either he didn't notice or outright ignored the reproachful stare Serra was sending his way. "Though you hardly need any more character – in fact, you have too much for your brother's court." He gave a wry little smile. "Good morning, Aydie. Need me to drag him away for you?"

"Good morning – no, I'm fine. We've just been talking." She smiled at the thought of Matthew dragging Hector away; while most people would think that the spy wouldn't have a chance of managing that, she knew that Hector listened to Matthew enough that he would be able to pull it off. It was nice that he'd offer such: it took a lot of energy to argue with Hector and it looked like Matthew was all out.

Hector knew it, too. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?" he asked pointedly, eyes narrowed in a suspicious stare. When Matthew tried to wave away his concerns, Hector said, "No, seriously. Don't just wave me off."

"I'm fine – I got a quick few hours and now I'm ready to go again. Besides, it's worth it to wake up and realize that nothing's fallen to pieces in my absence."

"That's _not _what you said you would do." Matthew didn't flinch, but the slow way he turned to face the glowering Serra behind him told Adelessa all she needed to know. "You said that you were going to get some real sleep, not just a few hours of napping," the cleric said, her arms crossed over her chest. As amusing as it would be to watch them bicker, Adelessa desperately wanted breakfast. When she cleared her throat, both of them stopped to look at her.

"Is there any chance that I could go to where Wil and Lowen are cooking?" she asked. "I'd like to get something to eat."

If she was professional about nothing else in the world, Serra was about her duties as a healer. "I don't know if I want you to wander around just yet," she said, "but it would be good for you to eat. You've lost a lot of weight in the past year – have you been taking care of yourself? Oh, I don't know how you ever managed without me! I _knew _I shouldn't have left you alone for a year." While Serra scolded her, Adelessa carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed. As much as she respected Serra's judgment on her health, she also really wanted to get up and see everyone. It wouldn't do to lie in bed like an invalid.

She partially reconsidered that decision when the world tilted slightly on her just as she was about to stand up. A few deep breaths put it to rights, but Matthew and Hector had already moved to offer her a hand. Her pride struggled with her pragmatism. "I think I'll be okay," she said, but used Hector's shoulder to help her stand up. Her legs were a bit shaky, but it was no worse than trying to stagger around on the _Davros_. She was wearing a plain shirt and slacks that looked suspiciously like Kent's: the sleeves and legs were rolled up several times.

"You are miserable to try to work with, you know that?" Hector grumbled. He stood up and kept one hand on her back for support. "Serra, we'll try to keep her from doing anything _too _strenuous. Come on," he said before Serra had a chance to reply, "let's get some food in you." While she never would have admitted it out loud, Adelessa was glad for him being cautious and keeping close: she was feeling just wobbly enough that Hector's gentle pressure on her back kept her from toppling over a couple of times. Matthew shadowed them, staying a few paces back but close enough that he could step forward and assist if necessary. Erk and Serra trailed behind them, almost a whole hallway's length away.

When they reached the open part of the ruins, Adelessa took a moment to just look around. There were worried and gloomy faces everywhere; she felt a stab of guilt when she realized that they were probably because of her. A few people were absent, likely off on guard duty or sleeping. Sain looked up and did a double-take when he saw the three of them. "Aydie!" He all but tossed aside his meal in his haste to stand up and run over to her. Laughing, Adelessa found herself wrapped up in a tight hug and spun around by the knight.

"Hello to you too," she said once he set her back down. They both turned out Serra's scolding.

"Elimine, it's good to see you up and moving around," he said. Sain looked almost beside himself and hadn't taken his hands off of her shoulders. "How are you feeling?"

"A little tired and stiff, but not bad other than that. Hungry," she added. "I heard that there was breakfast and thought it would be good to eat something." That statement was answered quickly with Sain ushering her over to a relatively level piece of wall where she could sit and a plate of eggs and some sort of meat – "Rabbit," Rebecca supplied – placed neatly on her lap. Lyn offered her the second half of her bowl of oatmeal before Adelessa could even get started on her plate. Not only that, but she put a sprinkle of extra sugar on it before she handed it over. When Adelessa tried to protest, Lyn only reminded her that, as a Sacaean, she couldn't take back something once she offered it.

It was hard to eat with all the people who came over to talk to her. She was so busy reassuring them – yes, she was recovering well; no, she wasn't paralyzed or anything; yes, she was going to avoid mages from now on; no, this shouldn't affect her ability to strategize – that she could hardly manage to get a bite to eat. It wasn't until Hector and Eliwood both started answering for her that they caught on. Adelessa gave them a look of pure gratitude while she ate her food faster than was probably polite. _I'm recovering – poorer manners than normal are forgivable, right?_

As soon as she finished her meal and assured Wil and Lowen that she really did have enough, Adelessa felt fatigue dragging at her. She didn't want to leave – Rebecca and Ninian were just so happy to talk with her and she was sure that they both needed a little more reassurance – but it was only a matter of time before someone made her return to resting. Still, Adelessa really didn't want to go back yet. There was so much more she could be doing, even if it was just talking to the magic-users about the incident with the magic seal and what they could do in case it happened again-

"Aydie, you're looking a bit pale." Eliwood was frowning and she knew that she was about to be sent back inside. "You shouldn't push yourself too hard."

"You're right," she agreed, though she had a hard time admitting it. To fight against the judgment now would only make her look like a petulant child. Being ordered inside would be a bigger blow to her pride than admitting that she was tired. _Oh, well. At least I had some time to talk with them and walk around_. "I'm feeling a bit tired. Lying down for a while wouldn't be a bad idea."

"We'd better get you inside, then," Hector said, sealing the matter. "Sleeping out here on a slab of rock probably wouldn't help you any." He offered her a hand up; she took it. When she realized that her legs were even shakier than they had been earlier, she held on to his arm as subtly as she could. "Ready?"

"Let's go. Thanks for the wonderful breakfast," she added before they returned inside. Once out of sight of the group, she leaned more heavily against Hector. He looked down at her briefly in surprise before carefully reaching over and patting her head. He had the grace to not say anything about it, for which Adelessa was very grateful. The last thing she needed right now was some sort of speech about how there was nothing wrong with admitting weakness or anything of the sort. She'd gotten that enough from Louise that she knew it by rote.

Serra clucked disapprovingly at her when she came back into the room. "Lie down," she scolded. "At least you got some food in you and reassured them that you're not fading away on us." As much as she probably should have listened to the cleric, Adelessa tuned her out when she sat down on the bed and pulled the sheet on it up to her shoulders. "Oh, you're not even _listening _to me anymore. Just go to sleep, sheesh. Shoo – no, I get to shoo you when I'm taking care of someone and you're in the way, Lord Hector!" Adelessa smiled as she rolled over onto her side. "She needs her rest and you and Matthew fussing over her like mother hens isn't going to help any, not when you clatter around! Shoo!"

Adelessa spent most of the day sleeping, though she woke up for short periods of time to eat something. Sain stopped by with lunch and Kent dropped in while she was eating; the three had a chat that lasted until they conveniently had to go on guard duty when she started yawning. Rebecca and Lowen brought her dinner. Ninian came in a while after them and stayed even when Adelessa dozed off.

When she woke up the next time, it was nearly pitch black. She squinted in the darkness and tried to figure out what woke her. Something moving next to her made her freeze and reach for a knife that wasn't on her before she realized that Ninian had just crawled into bed with her. _Why is she sitting up? _"Ninian?" she called quietly. "What's going on?" When the girl's only answer was to stand up and move toward the door, Adelessa swung her legs out of bed and pulled on her over-tunic. The blue-haired girl was out of the room before she got to her feet; hesitating, she clipped on her belt. It never hurt to be prepared, after all.

_Serra must have gone to her own room for the night,_ Adelessa realized when she looked around for help. _It's probably close to midnight – no one but the sentries would be up_. That meant that no one was around to help her and there wasn't enough time to stop and wake someone up. Barefoot, Adelessa drew her over-tunic closer around her to ward off the chill in the air and followed Ninian outside. The moon was nearly full and helped her navigate the rubble surrounding the building they'd chosen as their own. Without it, she was sure that she wouldn't have been able to keep up with Ninian. Somehow, despite tottering steps, the dancer was able to move swiftly through the ruins toward a smaller building about a hundred yards away.

It was in similar disarray as the one she'd just left. It was about the size of a house; in fact, when Adelessa stepped inside of it, she could almost swear that it used to be one. The way it was laid out made the argument for it. When passing through the more intact part of the house, she saw what looked like a library.

She found Ninian in one of the furthest rooms in the house. "Ninian?" she called. The girl didn't move; instead, she stood stock-still in the center of the room. When Adelessa picked her way around the room, she saw that her eyes were open and staring into space. The moonlight hit them _just right_and made it almost look like they were glowing red in the darkness. "Ninian, are you alright?"

"He's going away," she said. Adelessa stared at her for a moment, not following what was going on. "Daddy's going to go get Mommy." Her left hand tightened around her right, where Adelessa knew Ninis' Grace was resting on her index finger. "I have to take care of Nils."

"Ninian?" Adelessa reached out to touch Ninian's shoulder. As soon as her fingers brushed against her, Ninian gave a great shudder and her eyes snapped shut. Adelessa snatched her hand back; she wasn't sure what was going on and really didn't want to risk anything when she was still recovering from what happened with the Thunder spell. A breathless few seconds passed before those red eyes opened again. Bewildered, Ninian looked all around her. "Ninian, why did you come here?"

For a moment Adelessa despaired of ever getting an answer from Ninian. After several beats of silence, though, she said, "This place – I feel as if I know it. It's… it's familiar."

"Familiar?" she echoed. "What do you-"

"Aydie!" Eliwood was in the doorway, one hand gripping the stone that made it. The other carried a torch. She could hear Lyn and Hector's voices further down the hall. _One of them must have seen us leave, thank the spirits. _"Aydie, why were you coming out here?" When she didn't immediately answer, he asked, "What's wrong? What's going on?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Adelessa tugged her over-tunic tighter around her. The warmth from running had worn off and now she was cold again. Hector and Lyn stepped into the room when Eliwood waved them in from the hall. "Ninian was acting like she knew this place – she said she did, too. It could have something to do with her amnesia."

"Her amnesia?" Hector asked. "Why on Elibe would she be familiar with anything around here?" Adelessa shrugged and shook her head helplessly; she was just as befuddled as them. Several moments passed in quiet while she checked to make sure that Ninian was uninjured; miraculously, the dancer had avoided cutting her feet on any rocks. Adelessa's feet were sore but intact as well.

"This is a very old building," Eliwood said, breaking the silence. "Look at the brick – it must have been abandoned for centuries to look like this."

"I don't know the last time people were supposed to have lived on Valor," Adelessa agreed.

"Pardon me." Except for Ninian, each of them jumped when a quiet, bass voice spoke up from the door. A man stood there, cloaked and cowled in what looked like dark gray – Adelessa couldn't tell in this lighting. "Hello."

"Oh, uh, hello," Hector said. "Do you live here?" Adelessa wanted to sigh; they had just finished talking about how no one lived on the Dread Isle. Besides that, it didn't look like this place had been home to anyone for centuries – there was no furniture, no food, no supplies.

"No," the man replied. "I'm just a traveler. My name is Teodor. I was walking in the woods and became tired – I had stopped to rest here the other day." The man patted a wall. "This building…. It's been empty for quite some time. It makes a nice resting place."

"Would you mind terribly if we stayed for a short while as well?" Adelessa asked. _If nothing else, perhaps we can ask him for news of what's been happening around here. This isn't that far off the main path for the Dragon's Gate, after all. Maybe we can even recruit him to help us._

"Not at all – please, take a seat." Ninian stuck close to Adelessa's side as they arranged themselves into a rough circle on the floor.

As soon as they were seated, Adelessa asked, "Do you know what this place used to be?"

"It's a ruin from the Scouring," he replied. "Originally, it was the home of a dark sorcerer. I've found several ancient tomes here. Most of them from the original occupant, but some from others who've lived here as well. It's fascinating stuff, really – if I can unlock the secrets within the tomes, I can move closer to the darkness. From what I've gathered this far, I must make further reparations."

Adelessa's skin crawled. The last time she heard someone talk like this- "Reparations?" Eliwood asked.

"Oh, yes – it's the fate of those who study dark magic." It took all of her willpower to keep from jumping up and bolting out the door. It was one thing to tolerate Canas, a shaman who seemed more academically interested in dark magic than its power. This man seemed far less principled. "If you covet the dark, you have to be willing to dive deeply into it. You have to erase yourself and become an empty vessel for it to fill." The three lords didn't seem that fazed by what he had to say, but of course they didn't; Lycia wasn't known for having shamans, not like the Dread Isle or Bern. They didn't have experience with what a shaman or dark mage could do besides what they'd seen Canas do. "Only when you do that can you receive the dark and master it. If your disposition is weak, the dark will easily overwhelm you. People like that are… lost." Ninian trembled slightly at her side; Adelessa had to check to make sure she wasn't. "Most people forget why they were searching for that power – only a few actually obtain true power. Giving up your self is a small price to pay for all that."

Eliwood, of the three, looked the most unsettled with the news, though she was sure that all five of them looked less than happy at this little explanation. Teodor didn't seem to notice their discomfort, because he continued with, "I've heard rumors that Bramimond, one of the eight legends, devoted herself entirely to the dark. All her emotions, all her memory – drowned in a river of darkness. That's how she gained the power to beat dragons."

"But – why would someone want to gain power at the cost of their own identity?" Eliwood asked.

"'I must have it at any cost.'" Teodor looked directly at Eliwood. "Hasn't every person felt that way before? It's a common desire. I know I have. Haven't you, Lord Eliwood of Pherae?" Darkness swarmed in on Adelessa; with some struggle, she threw off the pressing dizziness and drew her knife. "Well, what have we here?"

She was acutely aware that she wasn't wearing any armor, that the others were fighting, and losing, against the same dizzy spell, that her feet were bare, and that she really shouldn't try to fight in her current condition. She realized that whatever he had cast had also doused the torch to a single low, flickering tongue of flame. "I won't let you hurt them," she said anyway.

"Hm. Perhaps. Perhaps not. Regardless, I lay claim to the deed of killing the young noble of Pherae since Uhai and Aion were unable to do so. I'm sure that I'll have plenty of time to study the treasures in this ruin once I'm finished with you." The pressure in the room – the same one that had her so scared and held the lords still – relented when he left. Unfortunately, there was no cause for celebration. By the time that the others had recovered, a black mist appeared to blind them. The torch gave out entirely when the fog hit it, plunging the room into pitch darkness. Adelessa could hardly see her hand in front of her face.

"Is this fog?" she heard Lyn ask. "I can't see anything!"

"It's magic," Adelessa answered. "Teodor cast it, I'm sure of it." _Anyone who's fought with him before – he probably brought units with him, after all – will have an advantage over us. We're blind and sitting ducks here. _Reaching for Ninian, Adelessa's heart gave a lurch: she couldn't find the girl. "Ninian?" A few frantic seconds of searching confirmed her worst fear. "I think they took her!"

"Then we'll just have to get her back," Hector said grimly. "Lyndis, do you want to go back and try to get help?"

"I will – we'll try to find you. It might take some time." Lyn's voice was worried.

Adelessa tried to reassure her. "Don't worry – I know you'll do just fine. If nothing else, you can still hear us. With Hector fighting, I'm sure we'll make plenty of noise." She was glad for the darkness: she could project all the assurance and confidence in her voice that she wanted, but it was a bit harder to hide her pale face. This was _not _something that Adelessa wanted to do. There was nothing good about this situation. Teodor had all of the tactical advantages. "Get Matthew and a few torches – that should make the darkness a little easier to handle."

"Right. Just – be _careful_," Lyn added. Adelessa strained her ears to hear the swordswoman's cautious footsteps. She waited until she couldn't hear her anymore before she started talking.

"We're at a pretty severe disadvantage in this encounter," she started, "but we don't have the ability to retreat, not if they have Ninian." Her eyes were finally adjusting to the darkness: she could just barely make out Eliwood and Hector. From how they were squinting, she had to assume that their vision was coming into focus as well. "We'll have to take it slowly – with only the three of us, we can't hope to fight off numbers like we're used to."

"We?" Hector asked. "Aydie, you're not going to fight unless push comes to shove. No – don't even try arguing," he insisted flatly. "You know as well as we do that you're in no shape to be running around, much less fighting."

"Alright – no, you're right. I'll try to avoid the fighting." Hector aborted whatever else he was going to say with a long sigh of relief. Eliwood was just as relieved. "I wasn't planning on engaging any enemies, though your concern is appreciated." She realized that she was smoothing her thumb over her medallion and immediately stopped. "The chances of Teodor staying in this house are slim – he probably retreated elsewhere in the ruins. Certainly not to the building that we've been using as a base, not with you having raised an alarm of some sort, so elsewhere in the area."

"There was a larger building off to the east," Eliwood supplied. "It's not too far from here and it's the only other mostly-intact building that I saw. Might he have gone there?"

"It's very likely – though we'll have to watch ourselves." She brailled around for the extinguished torch for a moment before she found it. "We might want to light this and leave it near the entrance to the other ruins. Lyn and whomever she's bringing will have a better chance of finding us in the dark if we do." She handed over the torch when Hector reached for it. "We'd do better to scout rather than outright attacking the Black Fang members."

"You're sure we can't just pounce on a couple at a time and take them out quickly?" Hector asked. When Adelessa shook her head in answer, he grumbled, "Sneaking around it Matthew's work. I was never any good at it. Whatever – I'll do it. I just can't promise I'll be as quiet as you want me to be."

"I know, but it's either that or we risk them taking off with Ninian. We have to act or else we'll be left trying to catch up." Adelessa wasn't particularly comfortable taking the two lords with her while she crept around, but she didn't see a good alternative. She knew that having them would slow her down and they'd be much nosier than if she was on her own. _But,_ she thought, _if I don't have them with me, then I'd be sure to lose any fights I could get into. _Ultimately, it was better to have them with her than not.

"Then we'd better get going," Hector said decisively. "Just warning you, though – if we _do _get in a fight, I'm not going to be taking any prisoners."

"I wouldn't expect you to in this situation," Adelessa replied. They would do what was necessary: in a crisis such as this, they couldn't afford to waste time coddling the enemy when they could be betrayed by them. It wasn't a pleasant thing to do, but she could put her reservations aside and get the job done. "Then we're in agreement. Let's go."

The open air outside of the house was just as opaque with the black mist as inside of it. Adelessa had Hector light the torch, but its flickering, wan light hardly made a dent in the inky darkness around them. Adelessa was too on-edge to put away her knife; she found that instead of fussing with her necklace, she was rubbing her fingers on the grip constantly. At least that was less obvious; she let it be. If worrying it would keep her from spinning off into frantic fretting, it was worth a little bit of wear on the wrapping.

When they finally reached the eastern ruin and Eliwood confirmed that it was the one he had meant, Hector stabbed the torch into the ground deep enough that it would stand on its own. "Hopefully no one finds it and puts it out," he said, voicing the thought that they each had.

"Hopefully," Adelessa agreed. "Now, then-" She stopped when Hector put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, confused as to why he was stopping her and giving her such an incredulous look. "What?"

"You're not going in there first – didn't we _just_ get done saying that you're recovering and shouldn't be fighting?" _Oh, good, now I get to argue with Hector some more._

"Listen," she replied, her voice a bare whisper, "I'm the best at being quiet while moving around of the three of us. This way I don't have to tell you what way I want to go – we won't waste as much time. Besides, you can always drag me back or jump forward if there's a fight and you'll be watching behind us." She spoke quickly and quietly, trying to convince him without wasting any more time. Looking between the two of them, she saw that they were both still skeptical. "But," she conceded, "if it makes you feel better, one of you can take the lead." It wasn't the time to prolong an unnecessary argument. Eliwood went in through the open archway first, his rapier held ready at his side. Adelessa stepped quietly after him; what little light the torch provided was eclipsed by Hector's bulk when he followed her into the ruin.

Squinting into the darkness, the tactician gave her eyes a moment to adjust to the light level in the building. From what she could see through the holes in the walls, it was a pretty simple structure: this seemed to be a main hall of some sort, shaped like an _L _with a room to the south lining it and one to the northwest nestled in the corner it made. Of course, that left plenty of room for enemies to hide and they hadn't the slightest idea where Teodor or Ninian could be. Making a quick decision, she pointed at one of the doors that led to the southern room. Nodding, Eliwood started in that direction.

When he tested the knob, it didn't turn. "Locked or jammed," he whispered. "I'm not sure which." Adelessa allowed a breath to hiss out between her teeth while she thought; shaking her head, she took a couple of steps along the wall. Eliwood caught on quickly: he started to lead them further down the hall. He stopped abruptly when Adelessa grabbed the back of his shirt. Adelessa could see the question on his face when he turned to look at her but didn't answer it.

They were almost to the corner. That was fine, but how the doors were placed on the room to the north made Adelessa leery of going forward anymore. If they continued in the direction they were going, they could be cut off from the exit by enemy units coming out of that door. Holding a finger up to her lips, she picked up a small chunk of stone and lobbed it forward. It hit the floor with a _tap_ and _skittle_, though that wasn't nearly as impressive as the soldiers that burst out of the room across from them. Eliwood and Hector didn't wait for her orders; all three of them scrambled toward the exit. Adelessa hadn't caught a good look of their opponents – they wore black and dark gray, which was even harder to see than normal in this lighting – but it was hard to mistake the heavy armor of knights even in low light.

Hector skidded to a stop when they got most of the way to the entrance. He whirled around and clobbered the closest knight with his axe. The hit rang in a reverberating _CLANG _loud enough that Adelessa winced. Before she had the chance to ask him what he thought he was doing, he was running toward her and Eliwood again. "Better make some noise so they know where to come!" he said. Adelessa could hear the grin in his voice even without seeing it.

As soon as they were all through the archway, Eliwood and Hector both turned around to face the oncoming enemies. Adelessa bent over double, propped herself up with her hands on her thighs, and tried to catch her breath. She was glad that they'd caught on to her strategy of forming bottlenecks: with how they were positioned in front of the entrance, they would be able to limit the number of enemies that could attack them at once. Eliwood and Hector's time spent practicing together became very obvious when they started to fight. Not only could they go on the offensive together, doling out strikes in complementary patterns, but they also did a good job of defending each other. _The phrase 'greater than the sum of the parts' comes to mind._

Even so, there were too many enemies for two people to hope to defeat. By the time Adelessa had properly caught her breath, the lords had been forced back several steps. In the torchlight, Adelessa could see the black armor and good quality weapons; these soldiers seemed like a step above the others that they had fought so far. She gripped her knife tighter when she saw that the first of the enemy units to edge around Eliwood and Hector was coming toward her.

A javelin whizzed past her head, close enough that she instinctively ducked and covered her head. "Sorry!" An arm looped around her middle and lifted her off of the ground. Sain grinned at her and hugged her close. "Didn't mean to get that close. Here – hold on tight!" Clinging to him – she had long since learned that riding with a cavalier was not an easy ride – Adelessa prayed that she wouldn't be thrown off and clenched her jaw. Sain let go of her to grip his lance. "Easy does it, my lords!" he yelled. "Reinforcements are about to arrive!"

A sudden flash of white light left Adelessa blinking furiously to clear her vision. When it did, she could have danced with happiness: Lyn was there with what looked like most of the group. A few people were missing, but Adelessa couldn't pick out who in the darkness and didn't care to try to figure out right this instant. Erk, Canas, Rebecca, and Wil had all attacked the enemies in the archway and driven them back. Adelessa had to clutch at Sain again when he suddenly spurred his horse forward. An arrow ricocheted off of the ground where they had just been standing. Rebecca swung her bow up and fired almost immediately; a pained yelp and _thump _followed the shot.

Sain helped Adelessa get down and made sure she was steady before he trotted over to stand next to Kent. "You know, for all that you say that I have good timing, I don't think you could have come at a better time," she told Lyn. _Good – now that I have something to work with, I can actually do this! _"Lucius, your magic is pretty good at lighting up our surroundings. Rather than fighting, I'd like you to try to increase our visibility as much as you can. There are several rooms inside of here – one should be empty already from when they ambushed us. Besides that, I have no idea of the numbers. If we keep to our normal defensive formation, though, we should be able to handle whatever the commander throws at us. We have to hurry – we think that they have Ninian." A ripple of dismay ran through those present; Ninian had grown even on those who hadn't known her during the Caelin incident.

"Which means," Hector said from behind her, "that we have to get moving. There's no time for pretty speeches or grand schemes. We go in there, we get Ninian, we beat the guy who's trying to kill us, and then we go back to bed." The blue-haired lord clapped a hand on her shoulder. "No more time to waste – c'mon!"

It only took a few moments for them to fall into position. They trickled through the entrance; at Adelessa's command, the strong fighters went through first to form a line behind which the rest of the group could assemble once they were inside of the ruin. It was good that she'd ordered for that: remnants of the ambush had thought to attack while the mages were entering the room. That skirmish didn't last long – between Hector getting a second wind and Oswin being a surprisingly effective fighter even at this time of night, the front-line fighters were able to stymie and defeat the enemy units.

Adelessa tried the doors to the south room again when they passed them, but was disappointed to find that all three were locked. Through a few palm-sized holes in the wall, she could just barely see shelves. _Another library of some sort?_she wondered. Regardless, it didn't look like there were any people in there and the more pressing matter of finding Teodor and defeating him to lift the spell of this black mist needed to be addressed. Matthew had all but attached himself to her as soon as they had made their way into the building and had been steadily telling her what he could see through the fog. She was glad for it – he could apparently make out things twice as far away as she could.

"I see movement at the end of the hallway," he said when they reached the corner. Adelessa squinted in that direction, but even with Lucius' magic lighting up their area she couldn't make anything out that far away.

"Alright. Be careful – Teodor might be with them, and shamans are not someone you want to go toe-to-toe with if you're not as versed in magic as them. Lucius, Canas, I want you two to fight him when we find him. You'll have the best chance of countering any magic that he'll cast." Both of them agreed with her assessment and moved to stand near her. "Keeping up that light isn't tiring you, is it?"

"Not at all," Lucius reassured her. "This is hardly a draw on my abilities at all, though your concern is touching." Adelessa smiled at him and he gave her a small one in return before the group started forward again.

The swordsmen in the group leaped forward to match several myrmidons that slipped into the light. Sain, Kent, Lowen, and Marcus followed after them with precise but deadly strikes with their polearms. The horsemen had to retreat quickly to avoid the knights with pikes that came after them; the fifteen-foot-long spears were well-known for being able to take out a horse and its rider well before they could get in range with their lances. "Archers!" Adelessa called; Wil and Rebecca fired at the knights, which slowed them down but didn't drop them. Erk was starting to cast a spell even before Adelessa started to address him. _That _did the trick; the knights that survived the fireball he threw had to abandon their weapons and scramble away. They were easy pickings after that.

Looking up from that, Adelessa had just enough time to see an even blacker spot in the darkness before she was bowled over backwards. She cringed – _oh, this isn't going to end well, I'm going to hit my head so hard on the ground! _– but the impact she expected never happened. Instead, a wiry arm cushioned her head and kept it from hitting the ground like the rest of her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Matthew checking to make sure she was alright.

"Stay down," he hissed. "Teodor's probably going to aim for you and the lords, and Lucius can only shield them." He didn't break off eye contact until she managed to nod; standing cautiously, he looked around rapidly. _I'm glad Matthew was there. That would have hit me otherwise._ Looking around, she spotted where the spell had hit the wall: there was a nice gaping hole where stone used to be and, by looking through it, a tree bifurcated outside. _Well. That would have killed me._

Common sense dictated that she should listen to Matthew. Her duties as a tactician stated that she should keep an eye on the proceedings despite danger to herself. Ever the intelligent one, Adelessa decided that she would compromise between the two: she sat up and peered between bodies in the way. She couldn't get a very good look at what was going on without standing – and if she stood, she had no doubt that she would be in _so much _trouble – but what she did spot both heartened and worried her.

A gleaming, pristine white barrier of light wrapped immediately in front of the lords. Those three were hunkered down behind it to avoid a bombardment of black spheres. Canas was busy preparing another spell, but Rebecca and Wil were able to fire off a few arrows in a break between the incoming spells. Canas stood taller so that he could look over the shield of light and returned fire with what looked like a lattice of black spheres and gray links. It left strange afterimages on Adelessa's eyes when she looked away. Whatever the spell was, it didn't work as well as the shaman had apparently hoped – the bombardment continued after a few seconds.

Sain risked throwing a javelin down the hall and nearly took a Flux spell to the chest. Only Kent's quick lunge to drag him away kept him from suffering the space-warping effects of the spell. "At least I clipped him!" Sain protested.

"Good job," Adelessa said. "Lucius, how are you holding up?"

"It would be good if we finished this quickly," the monk responded. From where she sat, Adelessa could see that he was starting to shake and the threads of light that stretched from his hands to the shield were beginning to fray. "I can hold this for a while longer, but I'm not sure how long 'a while' will be."

"Canas, can you-?" The shaman stopped her with a nod; his lips were already moving as he traced his finger down a page in his tome. Anxious seconds ticked by. Adelessa constantly glanced between Lucius and Canas, watching either for the former to falter or the latter to finish his spell.

All at once, an especially large burst of dark magic crashed into Lucius' shield. It annihilated the barrier, but disappeared along with it. At the same time, Canas shoved his hand out in front of him toward the shaman just visible at the end of the hall. A similar form to his last spell burst from his hand and swept down the hall. It intercepted and engulfed the smaller spells that Teodor had continued to cast. Adelessa forced herself to watch the net of the spell wrap around the enemy shaman. The mesh seemed to suck in all of the light in the room for a breath's length before both the spell and the man collapsed into nothing.

She stood up and caught Canas while he was swaying despite just how unnerved she was by what he cast. "What _was_that?" Eliwood asked; his voice was somewhere between awe and fear.

"A spell called Luna – gravitic forces, old spell, very good at what it does," Canas replied wearily. "Thank you, Aydie, but I think I need to sit down and drink some water." She and Guy helped him to sit against the wall. "I'll be fine after a bit of rest."

"Don't worry about it," Adelessa said, trying to put as much warmth and reassurance into her voice as she could manage. "You just take your time. The rest of us can start searching now that the fog's lifting." It was, too, as if being blown away by a breeze they couldn't feel. While certainly not close to the level of daylight, it was easier to see when they had the moon illuminating what it could. "If everyone could split up and search the rooms around here, I'd greatly appreciate it. Try not to wander off alone – I don't want anyone to be caught on their own by a surprise attack." The company drifted apart in pairs or groups of three or four to search for Ninian.

Adelessa had meant to stay near Canas and Lucius to wait for word from those out searching, but something caught her eye. One of the doors to the southernmost room was open. After a moment's thought, she made the executive decision to look at what was in that room. "I'll be right back," she told Lucius and Canas. "If someone comes back before I do, ask them to wait and let them know that I'll be back shortly." She left before either of them could protest her leaving. _That's how one gets away with things, after all!_

Easing the door open slightly wider so that she could slip through it, Adelessa stepped into the room beyond. Moonlight illuminated the room thanks to a mostly-missing roof. Shelves were packed full of tomes. When Adelessa reached to touch one, she could feel magic emanating from it strongly enough that it buzzed against her skin. She snatched her hand back. She had only taken a few steps further down the room when a hand on her shoulder made her jump.

"Honestly, Elimine _bless_, can I not take my eyes off of you for a minute before you're off trying to get yourself killed?" Matthew's glare was surprisingly hard-eyed. The last time she'd seen it was during the Caelin incident.

"I'm not trying to get myself-"

"Yeah, well, you've been doing a good job of it anyway." Stung, Adelessa found herself at a loss for words. "Do you even have any idea of what you're doing?"

"I do!" she shot back. "I know perfectly well-"

"And that's why you wander around alone when you could get attacked? Yes, that's a _brilliant _plan!" Matthew closed his eyes and took a deep breath; Adelessa waited in hurt and wary silence for what he was going to say. "I'm sorry," he said more quietly. "That's not what I wanted to say. It's just that – do you even know how upset we all were when you went down yesterday?"

_He isn't _mad _at me, or at least not mostly – he's _scared. Adelessa let go of her irritation at his pointed questions. _After all that he's been through… _"I'm sorry, too – it's just easier to work alone sometimes."

"Yeah, well – working alone is what gets you killed, you know. I thought you'd figured out by now that there's at least a couple of people around here who can keep up with you."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," she promised. About to say something else, a sparkle of light off of familiar jewelry caught her eye. She moved past Matthew, walked past several shelves, and saw Ninian standing not too far away. "Ninian?" she called cautiously. When she didn't get a response, she made her way over to the girl and looked at what had her so fascinated.

The image was hard to see at first, but when she did it caused eerie chills to creep up her spine. While she'd seen plenty of paintings of dragons from the Scouring while she'd traveled, they had always depicted them while they were fighting. This one had only a man and a dragon, peacefully facing one another. Some of the details had faded with time; the identity of the man was impossible to make out. _Well, not like he'd still be alive anyways, _Adelessa thought. Thinking to try what had worked before, she gently touched Ninian's shoulder. "Ninian?"

This time it was a slow reaction. Ninian blinked at her as if waking up from something. "Aydie?"

"Did this remind you of something?" Adelessa waved at the painting.

"Yes? No." Ninian looked as confused as Adelessa. Matthew, from where he stood back in the shelves, could only give Adelessa a befuddled shrug when she looked to him for help. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright. Don't worry about it. I'm just glad I found you." Adelessa offered her a hand; Ninian took it and tagged along with her as she started to walk back to the hallway. "You'll remember what you've forgotten soon enough. For now, though, we need to go back to bed." _Maybe in the morning this will make more sense. And, if not, I'll have plenty of time to think about it while we're traveling._ She glanced at Matthew out of the corner of her eye. _And maybe someone to talk to about it._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Phew, long chapter! x_)))

Thanks as always to my wonderful beta **Ryan**! Thanks as well to my reviewers: **Drachegirl14, Tom-Ato13, patattack, MilleniaMaster, Sentury, AuthorOfTheDark, Sparks101, Raven the Blood witch, Solyeuse, angelbeets,** and **Aquatic****Silver!** You encourage me so much!

Next week's chapter may be a bit late: it's going to be a big chapter and I don't know if it will be done by Friday. I'll try, though! Just thought I'd give you a heads-up.


	31. Dragon's Gate

Dragon's Gate

"Ugh. Will this forest ever _end?_"

"You know, Serra, if you put half the energy that you spend complaining into anything else, you'd be just incredible."

"Oh, shut _up_, Matthew."

_If I didn't know better, I'd think that those two weren't friends, _Adelessa thought while she listened to the cleric and thief bicker. She hadn't realized just how close they were until the morning after Teodor's attack and Ninian's nighttime wandering; when she woke up, she had heard the two of them talking outside of her room. With the way those two argued normally, Adelessa would never have thought that Serra would be one of the first people that Matthew would go to when he needed to get something off of his chest. She was proven wrong even in the little snippet that she overheard.

She was starting to realize that very few of Matthew's relationships were as they seemed.

"Listen, we get it," Hector growled at the two. "He's an idiot, you're a big whiner, now be quiet before you bring all of the Black Fang down on us with your arguing!" The routine had been pretty much the same for the last few days: they'd get up in the morning, continue moving through the forest, and listen to Matthew and Serra pick at each other for a while until Hector finally got them to knock it off. Then Matthew would bounce between teasing his lord and talking to Adelessa, Serra would go pester Erk, and then there would be some peace and quiet.

Serra sniffed in response to Hector and stalked over to the purple-haired mage. The new and very welcome quiet let Adelessa turn her mind to the problems that had revealed themselves since the group's arrival on the Dread Isle. In the time that they'd been traveling through the forest, they'd avoided further notice. Adelessa hadn't seen anything larger than a scouting patrol and those were easy to avoid if you knew what to look for. They'd had to ambush a couple of groups to keep them from raising an alarm, but most they had been able to hide from.

Adelessa had taken to keeping a close eye on both Ninian and Eliwood over the past while. Since the night they fought Teodor, Ninian hadn't wandered off again, though she had been more absent-minded than usual. Eliwood was a source of worry for an entirely different reason: the farther they traveled, the more grim and silent he became. Even Adelessa, who had only known him under these stresses, could tell that this was not a good sign. Hector had taken to walking with his fellow lord to try to cheer him up, with limited success.

Their time spent here had acclimated most of them to the eerie ambience of the Dread Isle. While it didn't feel any less oppressive to be here, it wasn't stifling like it had been. No one was laughing or joking like they had in Lycia, but there were still some quiet conversations that bubbled up. Canas in particular seemed unbothered by their surroundings and had spoken with almost everyone. His inquisitive nature managed to pry through the scared shells that others had built around themselves; once they started talking to him, it became easier for them to shake off the dread that hung around them.

"Miles away, huh?" When she looked over at Matthew, Adelessa realized that she had been quietly staring into space for spirits only knew how long. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen you this distracted. What's on your mind?"

"I'm just thinking." The dry look and unspoken '_no, really?_' made her elaborate. "There's a lot that's happened since we arrived here – even before we arrived here, really. I need to keep everything in order and make sure that I have everything ready that I can. The Black Fang isn't a laughing matter. Hoping to beat them with sheer luck won't work." Adelessa felt that she was frowning sharply and tried to smooth the worry out of her expression. "It's not like they're a passing threat or unequipped. They've already proved that they're capable.

"I mean, as much of a terror that Lord Darin was in Lycia, we've seen none of his troops here. This is the Black Fang's territory. They were dangerous enough when we had to fight them to save Ninian and Nils a year ago, and that wasn't even their base." She stopped herself before she could fiddle with her necklace: looking upset or uneasy wouldn't help morale. "Now we're challenging them here, in their fortress. There's every chance that things can go terribly. And even if we succeed here, there's no guarantee that this will be the end of the matter. Sure, we can rescue Lord Elbert, but what of Marquess Laus' plans for rebellion? What if the Black Fang pursues us into Lycia again to retrieve Lord Elbert after we've rescued him?" _What if you keep turning to me to solve the problem? I don't know if I can handle all of this on my own. _"There are so many things about which I need to think and for which I need to prepare."

Matthew had been listening silently throughout her little rant, watching the trees around them for any sign of something out place. "Well," he said, "it sounds to me like you're borrowing trouble."

"I probably am," she admitted. Turning her eyes forward, she looked around as well. "It's a hard habit to break."

"Yeah, well," and Matthew shrugged, "knowing you, anything worth doing isn't easy." Adelessa peered curiously at him, intending to ask what he meant by _that_-

"Ayde! Ayde, come look at this!" Wil's shout from up ahead sent her dashing forward at a run. She slowed only to navigate a particularly nasty bunch of roots. The archer was partway up a tree; Dart pointed her attention up to him when she got there. "Come on up here!" Adelessa gave the tree a wary look – it wasn't as nice and firm as she would have liked – but summoned up her courage and started up it carefully.

"What is it? Did you see something?" she asked him, looking up at where he sat on a branch ten feet above her. When all Wil did was point, Adelessa clutched the tree tightly and shuffled on a branch so she could look that way. What she saw confused her for a moment – why, if those ruins were that close, she should have been able to see them through the trees – and then made her gasp in awe.

"Think that's the Dragon's Gate, Ayde?" The main building was enormous: the trees near it looked like saplings in comparison to its size. It dwarfed any of the other structures they'd seen thus far. The sheer scale of it was near impossible to grasp: no human could have built it, not even the strongest of mages. From what she could see, it was even intact still.

"I can't see how it could be anything else," she replied. There wasn't a visible gate – it wasn't shaped like an arch or anything, either – but she couldn't imagine that anything less important would have such a magnificent construction. It took her a minute to try to judge the distance from where they were to the Dragon's Gate. A few minutes more passed while she carefully climbed down from the tree. "We're just a couple of hours away from the Dragon's Gate," she announced.

Everyone seemed to have something to say about her news; Adelessa waited until the shocked and excited babble quieted down before she tried to say anything else. "We'll need to make doubly sure we're careful now," she told them. "If you have metal tack or equipment, please wrap it in cloth so that it doesn't make noise." _That will keep our approach unnoticed as long as possible. _"Scouters, I'd like you to spread around the group and watch our surroundings. Stick with us, though. I don't want anyone wandering around alone when we're this close to the enemy." The thought that they were so close to the end of their journey lit a spark of life in each person; they moved quickly to carry out her orders.

Getting to the Dragon's Gate was just as harrying as Adelessa thought it would be. They saw more and more patrols as they got closer to the building, though her spotters noticed them early enough to alert her every time. Between the woods and the muted tack, they were able to avoid them without too much trouble. Though they were helpful for hiding from the enemy, the woods got thicker and gnarled roots fouled up travel, which slowed them more than Adelessa had expected. Thankfully, they started to thin out as they neared the final approach to the front entrance.

The Dragon's Gate was only more awe-inspiring when one was close to it. It was built like a temple on a campus that had other buildings attending to it. Adelessa felt chills run along her arms as she stared up at murals depicting dragons, humans, and events long forgotten by history. _What a place,_ she let herself marvel. _I wonder how many people can say that they've been here?_

"So we're here," Eliwood whispered. With how silent the group was, his voice carried as if he'd been talking normally. No one was unaffected by this place. "The Dragon's Gate." Adelessa gently wrapped an arm around Ninian's shoulders when the girl reached for her; she could feel the dancer quivering in her hold. The movement of the tactician drawing her into the hug must have drawn Eliwood's attention. "Ninian, what's wrong? You're shaking."

Ninian's lips were white from how tightly she had them pressed together. Her shaking was only getting worse; Adelessa opened her other arm, offering to give her a proper hug, but the blue-haired girl didn't even respond. The other two lords drew closer to them. "This place – it's so frightening," Ninian whispered. Her eyes were wide and blank, her pupils dilated far beyond what they normally were. "Something – something powerful-"

"It's her power, isn't it?" Lyn asked Adelessa over Ninian's broken whispers.

"Her power?" Hector asked. "What do you mean, 'her power'?"

"She can feel danger – she instinctively knows when something bad is about to happen," Adelessa explained. She looked into Ninian's eyes; seeing only distance and a lack of recognition there, she took a deep breath. If Ninian was reacting this badly, that meant that soon Adelessa would have her work cut out for her. She needed to know what was going to happen. "What are you feeling, Ninian?"

"I shouldn't have- shouldn't have come here. Something awful will happen if, something _awful _will happen if I'm here!" Something was triggered in the blue-haired girl: she started struggling against Adelessa, her fingers out like claws. Adelessa ducked her head down and felt the sharp pain of Ninian's fingers tangling into and then tugging on her thick hair. Never had she been so glad that she left it down: with her hair in the way, Ninian wouldn't be able to scratch her face or neck. "No!" the girl shrieked, yanking hard enough on the brown locks that Adelessa yelped in pain and was jerked toward her.

Another set of careful hands deftly untangled the strands of hair twined around Ninian's fingers. She felt someone dragging Ninian away from her as the last knots popped free from Ninian's hands. Adelessa immediately stood up straight, hearing Eliwood say, "She's just getting worse – we'd best get her away from here!"

"You'll not be going anywhere," someone behind her promised. During the struggle, Adelessa had turned so that her back faced the Dragon's Gate. Now, she and Matthew – he must have been the one who got Ninian out of her hair – whirled around to face the person who had spoken. Before them stood a dreadfully intimidating man. He gazed coolly at them, draped in a maroon mantle with a jet-black cloak and his own self-confidence. Blue-green hair peeked out from under a black turban and sprouted in a goatee on his chin. Some sort of _presence _surrounded him; dark siren songs whispered in her ears. The effect was entirely eerie and unsettling: here was a man who matched the Dread Isle. "That little bird has escaped this island cage twice. Now that she's returned, she won't be allowed to fly away again."

"Who are you?" Eliwood demanded. Looking over her shoulder, Adelessa saw that his rapier was drawn and pointed toward the man. Hector and Lyn stood to either side of him with their weapons bared. Ninian was behind them; she was pale, shaking, and obviously terrified.

"Ah. We meet at last." The man gave a smile that was more a sneer. "I am Nergal. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Somehow Adelessa wasn't that surprised at this revelation; he fit her nebulous idea of the man pulling the strings in Lycia frighteningly well in even just the first few moments she knew him.

Several sharp pops sounded off behind her in rapid succession; Hector gripped his axe tighter after he finished cracking his knuckles. "So you're Nergal? Oh, have I been looking forward to this," he growled. The viciousness in his voice took Adelessa entirely by surprise.

"So gallantly spoken," Nergal noted. "How droll. Of course, I know who _you_ are: Marquess Ostia's younger brother, Lord Hector." The man looked over at Lyn next, who bristled and raised her sword higher in a blatant threat. "Here we have Caelin's beloved princess, Lady Lyndis." Adelessa could hear those from her canton shifting, no doubt preparing to come to Lyn's defense. Lyn herself didn't respond; she only held Nergal's gaze with her own. "And how could I not know of the little pet tactician you keep around?" Adelessa found herself entirely unable to move when Nergal turned his full attention on her. Eyes as gray as thunderclouds locked onto her and held her fast. "What a treat she is – happy to remain an enigma to even the people she calls her friends!" _It's not like that,_she wanted to protest. The words wouldn't come from her and he was speaking again. "By the way, the gift that I left waiting for you – was it to your liking?" Horror dawned on Adelessa and she reached to grab Matthew. "I thought you would enjoy seeing the corpse of that filthy traitor."

No one was able to stop Hector. He took two steps forward and raised his axe before Adelessa could even think to reach for him. His face was twisted with the same rage that was on Matthew's. "You monster – stay right there!" the lord bellowed. "I'll crush the life right out of you!" Adelessa's call for him to come back fell on deaf ears; only Nergal had his attention. The cloaked man realized it, too.

"Oh, now I see!" he said. "She was an Ostian spy, wasn't she? Well, you can at least worry a little less." Nergal's voice was matter-of-fact, as if he was just speaking of unimportant matters. "She didn't suffer. It only took one blow." Matthew nearly dragged Adelessa off of her feet when he lurched forward, his face contorted into a furious mask. Hector, without anyone to stop him, charged directly at Nergal. Just before his axe would have connected, Nergal seemed to melt into a shadow and phase out of existence. Only scorched grass where his feet were showed that he had even been there. Hector swore explosively and buried his axe in the ground.

Ninian's cry of surprise turned every head toward her. Expecting to see Nergal, Adelessa was surprised instead to see a different man standing next to the girl. Perfect black hair and porcelain-pale skin weren't nearly as unnerving as the golden doll's-eyes that stared emotionlessly at them. "This girl is needed for my master's ceremony," he said politely. "I'll be taking her now." There was no time for anyone to react – no one was close enough to them to stop anything that could happen.

"Aydie! Lord Eliwood!" Ninian tried to reach for them. The man next to her gripped her shoulders hard enough that Adelessa could see dents in her skin under his fingertips. "Let me go!" Ninian jabbed her elbow into his side and wrenched under his grip, but couldn't break free. Like Nergal, both of them flickered out of reach just before Eliwood could touch them.

Adelessa had known before that there was a good chance that they would be outclassed, but never had she entertained the thought that they could be at such an utter disadvantage. _How can you fight a man – men, rather – who can teleport at will?_ she thought. _They killed Leila, and now they've taken Ninian!_ She let her grip on Matthew relax until it slipped entirely; she let her hands hang at her sides. _Come _on, _Adelessa, you have to _think. _Everyone is counting on you to come up with a brilliant strategy and rescue Ninian and Lord Elbert and save the day and stop Nergal from whatever ceremony he might be planning-_

No – she couldn't panic. There was no time for falling apart. Adelessa buckled down and forced herself to ignore those emotions. _Louise can scold me later_. Her panic still flailed in the back of her mind, but she could ignore it this way. She _had_to ignore it. Panicking would only distract her and ruin her judgment. She couldn't afford to slip up now, not with how much hung in the balance.

But before she could start to give any orders, a horseman in full armor rode up. Unlike most Black Fang members, he didn't wear black: his was a bright, bloody red. Adelessa held up a hand, cautioning her fighters to wait, and watched him approach. He stopped well back and drew up the visor on his helmet. "Lordlings! I'm Cameron, and I've been waiting for you. You've done well to come so far."

Adelessa smiled grimly to herself. This wasn't the beginning of a fight with him – he'd have charged if it was. This was a conversation. Being Black Fang or even one of Darin's men, she knew what he wanted them to ask. "Where are Lord Elbert and Ninian?" she called back.

"Inside – farther inside." Her guess was right: the way he sat in the saddle made it abundantly clear that he wasn't about to attack. Cameron was here to gloat. "You'll never see them, though! Even if you break through here, the path you seek is guarded by Marquess Laus. Won't you retreat? Oh, that's right – it's too late for that!" The Lausian horseman laughed at them. "You'll never leave here alive, no matter what cute strategies that little girl thinks up!" His mocking laughter hung around them even after he rode into the grounds around the Dragon's Gate.

"Aydie, are you-?"

"I'm perfectly fine," Adelessa replied. She was surprised to realize that, actually, she was. The nasty little barb had done nothing but convinced her that she really, _really_ wanted to teach the knight a lesson. "Don't worry about me – it will take more than a few words from an enemy trying to demoralize us to bother me." _Though hopefully no one took what Nergal said to heart_. No, she wasn't going to think about that now. If someone had questions later, she'd tackle that when it came up. Until then, she had far more important things about which she needed to worry. She took a moment to study the lay of the land. "At least he gave me some information while he boasted about how we don't stand a chance against their superior forces.

"There are a few buildings between us and the entrance to the Dragon's Gate itself," she said. Grabbing a nearby stick, she quickly drew a rough map of what she could see. "We'll have to go through and clear those out along with the grounds around them before we try to take the Gate." _An odd name for a building like that. I wonder why it has it?_"There's a good chance we'll have to split up or that the enemy will drive us into smaller groups. If that happens, I want you to listen to Kent and Marcus for tactical advice in my stead." She'd heard about how Kent took over for her when she went down; she had made sure to address that possibility happening again. "Sain, Eliwood, would you be willing to lead small groups as well? Thank you. I don't believe that they'll be able to fracture us into so many groups, but I want everyone to be aware of who they can look to in my absence.

"That said, we'll have to combine tactics for a rout and a siege. The Black Fang is sure to be firmly entrenched here and clearing them out is going to be a challenge. I don't want to go into the belly of the beast when we could be attacked from behind. For the first part of the fight, however, we can all stay together. We can work on splitting up the groups when we're closer to the midpoint of our approach. They'll probably have a fair mix of units to throw at us, especially if there are any Laus troops here. I personally doubt that they'll have more than a couple of horsemen, but I've been proven wrong before." She looked around the group. "This is our last battle. If we do this – if we rescue Lord Elbert and Ninian – we can go home. If we can succeed here, then all of this strife will have been for good reason. We _will _end this here."

It seemed that her words galvanized even those who had been quailing in the face of these new developments: when she ordered for the group to form up, everyone moved briskly and with a sense of purpose. Even when they started into the complex, the sense of determination stayed strong in the group. Adelessa could feel the tell-tale prickle of magic around her; it was unpleasant enough that it made her want to leave. Since she couldn't, she resigned herself to being uncomfortable and having to deal with it.

The deafening silence of the place was in scale with its size. While undeniably unsettling, it made it easy for her to pick out the sound of quiet talking and clattering weapons from a building not far off of the main path. Motioning for Marcus to come closer to her, she quickly sorted out some orders for him. "I want you to clear out that building – take Canas, Rebecca, Lowen, Guy, Fiora, and Bartre with you," she said. "Fiora, try to stay as low to the ground as you can. I want to draw as little notice to our presence as possible. They know we're here, but that doesn't mean we have to broadcast our location for them."

Adelessa waited for a moment to make sure that Marcus was well on his way. The group couldn't afford to waste time going after individual buildings in one large chunk: whatever Nergal was doing wouldn't be put on hold for them. Adelessa had to have faith that Marcus was capable of handling any trouble thrown his way. She had to keep pressing forward.

As soon as she heard hooves thudding on the ground down the main path, Adelessa knew the time for stealth was over. She was yelling, "Lance-wielders to the front!" when a squad of horsemen burst from an alleyway and started to charge toward the group. Oswin, Florina, Sain, and Kent all stepped up to form an intimidating front line for their opponents. Hector, Dorcas, Dart, and Lyn formed a second line behind them. Not a single one of the horsemen in the squad faltered at the sight.

"Stand fast!" Adelessa called out just an instant before the horsemen reached them. The worst of the attack was blunted by the front row: the polearms deflected all but one of the strikes. The one that broke through stabbed his sword forward; Oswin's armor was splashed with red when he drew the strike toward himself to protect Florina from it. She immediately took to the air, which got her out of Hector's way. The lord threw himself at that horseman despite the disadvantages of fighting a sword with an axe. To either side of him, Kent and Sain used their superior reach to go on the offensive. Priscilla was already riding forward to heal Oswin's injury. Dorcas and Dart sidled up behind and outside of where Sain and Kent were to engage the cavaliers who had lances. Lyn leaped forward and back, danced around any attacks aimed at her, and landed her own to good effect. When they saw openings, Erk, Wil, and Lucius supported the melee fighters. From her overhead vantage point, Florina had the perfect angle to hurl javelins at the enemy, which she did quite well.

That skirmish ended quickly and without any major surprises. Hector had taken a bad hit to his shoulder, but it wasn't anything that Serra couldn't patch up with a few seconds of attention with her healing staff. Oswin was back on his feet, though he favored his right leg slightly. When he caught Adelessa watching him, he reassured her with, "It always takes a minute for me to believe the healing worked." The explanation was fair enough and when she checked again after a few minutes, he was walking just fine.

When she didn't see any sign of Marcus returning yet, Adelessa ordered for the group to continue forward; if he had been approaching, she would have been able to justify the wait. Without him in sight, there was no point in holding back the group on the hope that he'd be returning soon. Luckily, the path they'd followed was pretty straightforward so far. It wouldn't be hard for that group to catch up to the rest of the company.

The next set of buildings was crowded, leaving a narrow path between them wide enough for only a couple of people to fit through at once. As much as she loved to use bottlenecks against her enemies, she hated facing them herself. There was a good thirty-foot long stretch where their movements would be impeded by the crowding of two buildings. It didn't look like there was a way around that would be any faster: she'd tried the doors that they'd passed and all of them had been locked or otherwise jammed shut. The best she could hope for here was that they weren't about to be ambushed. Just in case that was the case, she sent Kent and Sain forward first and Hector and Oswin after them. Florina she had stay in the air and mirror their movements, with the added instruction to shout if she saw any enemy units approaching or lying in wait at the end of the passage.

Any hopes of making it through without strife died when Florina cried out an alarm from up above them. "Horsemen incoming!" the pegasus knight yelled as she swooped to fall back by the rest of the group.

"How many?" Adelessa demanded. "And what weapons did they have?"

"A squad of eight," Florina answered. "They have mostly swords and lances, but I saw a couple archers and a troubadour as well!" Adelessa didn't much care for that – having a healer themselves meant that they could keep fighting longer than most enemies could. Struggling against well-trained fighters who had proper support was not a pleasant idea, especially not in a situation like this where they didn't have room to maneuver. "They'll be here soon-"

Soon might have been underestimating their enemy. Adelessa cringed at the loud, echoing noise of clattering hooves and steel on steel bouncing between the stone walls that encaged them. They were here already; there was no time for intricate plans. All she could do now was hope that they were set up well enough to stand up to the horsemen. _At least they'll be just as hampered as we are, _she thought.

In a case like this, there was no need for her to give any orders. This was a straightforward case of needing to repel and push forward through their attackers. Already the two Caelin knights were bracing themselves for the fight. Hector reached for a throwing axe; Oswin had a javelin in hand. A breath's time gave her the chance to warn the rest of the group with a, "Look out!"

Small places like this were _not_ meant for any sort of mounted combat. Sure, the horses were able to completely block off the passageway, but that made it impossible for them to exploit their greater mobility. _Looks like Cameron isn't as great of a tactician as he might think he is, _Adelessa thought. It wasn't that much comfort: the tight spaces hampered her forces just as much as the enemy. Still, they'd fought in worse conditions than this.

Kent and Sain held their own against the cavaliers they were fighting. Both sides had abandoned lances – there wasn't nearly enough room to use them properly – and instead swung and parried with their swords. With Hector and Oswin's assistance, they were able to hold their ground. When the ranged units joined the two Ostians, their group was able to harry the enemy archers enough that they couldn't get off any shots without staying still long enough to risk an attack. One of those two archers collapsed when their troubadour was too busy with the other to come to his aid. The first of the sword-wielding cavaliers fell shortly thereafter, causing a break in the fighting when the horse reared and bolted backward through the enemy lines.

All of this combined gave Adelessa's units the momentum they needed to push forward against the enemy. Sain and Kent were able to take some ground, forcing the enemy units to focus on retreating rather than putting up more than a defensive fight. Even then, their horses were stumbling and all but falling over themselves.

A startled and pained cry from behind her made Adelessa spin on her heel. Fire danced around Serra and Erk; flames licked at the two from the scorched grass around them. One of the cleric's arms was bright red and obviously burned. Looking around, the tactician looked for the source of the fire: there was no way that Erk might have caused the injury. It couldn't be from the enemy fighters and she didn't see anyone from where they'd come. When she looked up to check on Florina, she saw a silhouette of an arrow sticking out of the wall above her. "Florina!" she yelled, her voice pitched to cut through the sounds of combat. "Land, now!"

Her knee-jerk command made Florina drop into a sudden dive. The arrow that had been aimed at her missed by bare inches. Adelessa didn't follow her to watch her landing. Instead, she peered at the building at her back. She could just see the shape of a window where the archer had been seconds before. _Why didn't he take a shot at me? _she wondered briefly. It was standard tactics-

_I haven't given any orders here and the angle's all wrong for them to have seen Florina saying anything to me earlier, _she realized seconds later. Of course, her position in the group was going to become abundantly clear soon, if they hadn't already discerned it. "There are mages and archers up in the buildings!" Lucius was the first person to react – flashes of light strobed in the windows, blinding anyone who wanted to look out of them. One particularly foolhardy mage leaned out to point at Adelessa despite his hindered vision; Erk's return fireball stopped him before he could finish his spell.

A swell of noise dragged her attention back to the fight on the ground. Three more soldiers were lying on the ground, Hector and Oswin were in the front line, and Sain had fallen back. Priscilla had abandoned her horse to move through the crowd faster and was tending to him. Kent, Oswin, and Hector were holding their ground: Wil had taken out the other archer and it was only a matter of time before the troubadour couldn't manage to heal the last remaining cavalier.

When she heard cheering, Adelessa looked to her left. She nearly started to cheer as well: the group she'd sent off was in sight. After a quick headcount confirmed that everyone she'd sent out was there, she let herself feel a quick burst of accomplishment. She was making this work! Rebecca shot off a few arrows in short succession to pick off people in the windows above Adelessa. With that, the fight was finished: when the last cavalier fell, the troubadour fled toward the Dragon's Gate.

Adelessa waited a moment more; when no enemies emerged from the windows above them or from further down the path, she was willing to declare this part of the fight finished. That said, she knew there was still more that she'd have to do. After all, they had to clear a couple more buildings before she'd feel comfortable going into the Dragon's Gate itself. She arranged the group into its usual formation before they continued toward the enormous temple.

"Good – I hope you haven't lost too many men in trying to wipe out those vermin-" When Cameron saw that he wasn't talking to his troops like he assumed, Adelessa couldn't help but feel a grim sense of satisfaction at his obvious dismay. "You- but you- how could you-!"

"Maybe if you didn't have a bunch of crapsacks for soldiers, you'd do better," Hector drawled. "You know, I hardly even broke a sweat. Pretty disappointing, really." Adelessa watched warily as he goaded the Black Fang commander; the lord might be able to provoke Cameron, but a person goaded like that could be unpredictable.

Then again, there were times where they were just as predictable as experience said they'd be. "Lay down and _die _already!" the knight roared. He charged directly at Hector, who rushed forward to meet him. The lord deflected the lance that stabbed at him with a bat of his axe. On the return swing, he scored a furrow through the man's chest armor. Cameron and the horse went down. The horse struggled to its feet and fled; the cavalier did not.

"Well," Hector said, popping his axe back onto his shoulder, "I guess that's that." He blithely ignored the shocked stares of the rest of the group and focused on Adelessa. "Where are we going from here?"

Adelessa took a moment to compose herself and survey the surrounding area. There was a building just west of them that they should really investigate and a trail to east and south that needed to be cleared before she would feel safe continuing on. They were nearly at the door of the Dragon's Gate, at least: once they finished this last little bit of routing, they could find Lord Elbert and Ninian. "I want to split up our forces into two groups," she replied. "Marcus, I want you to take the same group you had earlier and make sure that this building here is cleared out. I want you to take Dorcas, Raven, Priscilla, and Matthew with you as well." While she wanted to keep Matthew around for her own peace of mind, she knew that he would be more helpful to them. There was every chance that the building would have locked doors. "The rest of us will head to the southeast to make sure that no troops there come up behind us. We'll meet here when we're done searching our respective areas."

After only a minimum of shuffling and mild argument – Matthew wasn't sure that he could trust Hector to stay out of trouble without him, despite Oswin's distinctly disapproving silence – the two parts of the group split up. Matthew immediately went to work picking the lock on the entry door while Adelessa and the other group started off the other way.

Following the trail brought them to a courtyard of sorts nestled against an offshoot wing of the temple. There were a few nooks and crannies there that she sent partners out to search. No one was allowed to wander alone; she herself had Erk and Serra standing nearby. Well, not so much standing as sniping back and forth at each other. Serra was scolding Erk for not protecting her; Erk was defensive about the matter and, Adelessa thought, rattled that she had been hurt.

Movement from the corner of her eye arrested her attention. A figure was slipping out of what looked like a trap door. "You there!" she called, intending to both to get his attention and that of the bickering couple behind her. "Who are you and what is your business here?"

"Oh, hello there." The figure straightened; Adelessa rested her hand uneasily on the knife at her side. Sure, she had Erk there for backup, but one could never count that a person wouldn't have a magic-warding talisman of some kind. "Hey, easy – you're a welcome visitor. Actually, I have to thank you for coming this far."

Adelessa wasn't going to be lead off-track. "Are you Black Fang?" she demanded, her fingers gripping her knife but not pulling it out. She didn't want to start a fight. Now that she had a chance to actually look at him, she felt even more uneasy: while not fully black, his outfit was dark. Parallel scars raked across his left eye. He was lean and stood with an absolute confidence that was quiet enough that it couldn't be mistaken as arrogance.

"Not anymore," he replied. "Wait a minute – hear me out, will you?" he hurried to add when Adelessa looked over her shoulder at Erk, who had his tome out and ready. "I recently cut ties with them – I'm just a thief now, see?"

"Just a thief?" Adelessa echoed.

"Sure – there's nothing better than being carefree, is there? Well, unless you have a different set of values, in which case we'll just have to agree to disagree." He reached into the trick door that had let him out of the building from which he'd emerged and pulled out a small bag. "Well then," he said, slinging it over his shoulder, "I'll take my leave of you."

"Wait," Adelessa said when a thought occurred to her. "If you're not with them anymore, you could assist me."

"Me? Help you?" At Adelessa's slight nod, the man gave her a long, hard look. "You're seriously going to fight them?" When she only nodded again, he shook his head in disbelief. "Let me tell you a little something, okay? Your enemy here isn't Brendan Reed. There's this creepy fellow named Nergal who's up to no good."

"I know." That stopped him dead in his tracks. He stared at her for a moment. "We heard that things have been changing, that the Black Fang isn't acting the way it used to. Please – they have a friend and a family member in there. We need to get them out before Nergal does something we can't fix."

"Huh." Adelessa wanted to shift and get out of his gaze when he studied her intently. She still didn't like being under scrutiny. "You know, I've always liked people like you – straightforward, sincere, got your head on straight. People like you are never bored – and nothing around them is ever boring, either. I think I will help you. I know almost nothing about the current Black Fang, though."

"That's fine," Adelessa reassured him. Letting go of her knife, she walked forward to meet him and offered her hand. He clasped it firmly and gave it a good shake. "I'm Aydie. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Legault. I'll help you as long as I feel safe."

"Thank you." She could hear Erk talking to someone quietly behind her; probably explaining why she was talking to someone from the Black Fang instead of fighting them. "Can you tell me anything about what they have as far as defenses inside?"

"Darin's cooped up in the entry hall – him and the soldiers he brought from Laus are waiting there for you. Most of the Black Fang is out on patrols or on the mainland. If you've made it this far, you've probably taken out most of them." Adelessa proceeded to plumb him for every bit of information she could until a light tap on her shoulder brought her out of the conversation. She looked up to find that everyone searching the courtyard had reassembled slightly past Erk.

It took a bit of diplomacy, but eventually the lords and other people in the group reluctantly accepted the former Black Fang's presence. Adelessa vouching for him – with the unspoken reassurance that Matthew wasn't going to stand for anyone putting his lord in danger, to say nothing of Oswin, and the same attitude of the Caelin and Pherae troops – quieted even the strongest dissent. Getting off of that subject, Adelessa learned that while there had been a few enemy units, none of them had caused much trouble and that this area had been cleared out.

A little bit of trouble rose up when the second group rejoined them, but with a little bit of wheedling and gentle persuasion she managed to soothe most worries. By no means did anyone trust the new addition to their party – Adelessa caught Matthew giving him wary glances and how he kept closer to Hector than usual – but no one outright protested Legault's presence. He remained near the tactician while they made their way to the doors that led into the Dragon's Gate. She used this time to inform the group about what would be waiting for them when they entered the temple.

Standing before an entrance that forced her to crane her head back was a humbling experience. _How small and insignificant are we in comparison to dragons,_ she thought, remembering a line from the book about the Scouring she had been reading. _How the legendary heroes managed to defeat powers that could create places like these is beyond me. _The sheer amount of power that must have gone into those fights boggled her; putting it into perspective with what she saw here, it was no wonder that each hero went on to found grand nations or equally incredible things.

Eliwood stepped up to stand to her right. Hector was on his other side; Lyn came up to rest a hand on her left shoulder. "Are we ready to go in?" the redheaded lord asked her. She could see the worry and, yes, fear in his eyes. She didn't think there was a person here who wasn't a little afraid. This was the point of no return.

"We are," she told him, voice level and strong. She stepped forward and pushed on both doors: they swung open easily and opened up to a dark, yawning entry hall. An arched ceiling loomed high above them. Intricate columns held up sweeping buttresses. The floor had swirling patterns in the tiles. Murals adorned every wall. Plum-and-gold armor gleamed in the light from outside.

"Be ready!" she yelled. Already several of the more aggressive or protective fighters were streaming to either side of her to defend the group from Laus soldiers. Their four cavaliers were blurs before her as they forced away the first few enemies. The lords were right behind them, swords and axe striking with critical accuracy. They, with the help of Guy, Raven, Dorcas, Bartre, and Oswin, formed a solid front line. Behind them, her archers and mages rained destruction on the enemies. As soon as someone was grazed, Serra and Priscilla were there to heal them. Matthew was up near the front, feeding information to the lords and other front-line fighters. Legault stayed back with Adelessa; at her request, he agreed to keep an eye behind them just in case their sweeps had missed Black Fang troops.

The first wave had been deflected by her horsemen before the formation had even been set. The second wave was likewise turned away or defeated, thanks mostly to the experience each person had gained since arriving on the island. She could see how each person was just a little bit sharper, a little bit faster, a little bit more accurate. After the challenge of fighting the Black Fang, Laus soldiers weren't nearly as fearsome as they had been when they left Lycia.

Adelessa could just make out Darin on the far side of the hall. His voice reached her much better than the sight of him. Rolling laughter – neither mocking nor derisive, as if he didn't realize that they stood a very good chance of defeating him – grated in her ears. "You dare to challenge the man who will rule the world?" he asked. "You can't hope to defeat me – men, finish them!"

_Apparently he doesn't realize that he's outnumbered now and losing badly._ Fighting the Laus soldiers was almost anticlimactic: for all that he'd foiled them prior to this, she'd expected him to present more of a challenge. She was glad she didn't have to worry about casualties, but it almost seemed _too _easy. Red flags were popping up whenever she thought about the matter, but she wasn't willing to distract herself from the battle to think about it. There was too great a chance that Darin was about to do something sneaky and catch them off-guard; daydreaming about a baseless worry under these conditions would be criminally stupid.

"Hold steady!" she said in response when the rest of the Laus troops started toward them. "If we make it through this, we can finally bring Darin to justice!" _Oops. _Hopefully no one would notice that she hadn't added the mannerism "lord" before his name. She wasn't getting any funny looks, at least.

The wave of Laus soldiers broke on the front line and there was no more time to worry. Chaos erupted before her and she was just as befuddled as her ranged units: they couldn't take any shots, not in the confused mess in front of them where they could hit friend just as easily as foe. The visual mess was hard to sort out without focusing on any one person, but Adelessa struggled to do so anyway. She caught snippets: Kent shrugging off a glancing blow, Sain slicing through cloth to score a blow against a soldier, Marcus piercing a man through with his lance-

After the first few seconds of insanity, the fight snapped back into focus. It wasn't a mess of action and reaction anymore. As soon as that became obvious, the archers and mages added their strength to the melee fighters'. The last wave ended shortly after that: being outnumbered and less skilled against a group so determined wasn't going to end well for them. Adelessa waited a moment for Priscilla and Serra to patch up the few wounds inflicted during the fight before she nodded to the lords. Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn led the group forward; Adelessa remained just behind them, mixing with those from their home cantons.

Darin was speechless with impotent anger. His face had passed red and was starting to take on a shade almost as rich as his plum armor. Adelessa signaled for the rest of the group to stand down before sent Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn forward. This was their fight; they would want to take down someone of their rank who had caused them such personal pain on their own.

"You little brats," he snarled, "are always getting into matters way above your heads!" He grabbed a spear and lifted it. "You've been ruining my plans for too long – I won't stand for such rebellion." He lumbered forward. Each of his steps clanked and echoed in the hall. Adelessa had never met the man in person and realized that the stories hadn't done him justice: he was _big._Not as big as Wallace, maybe, but large enough that he easily towered over most of the group.

_Then again, the bigger they are, the harder they fall! _There was a heartbeat's pause where each of them measured up the others: Lyn was poised on the balls of her feet, ready to spring forward; Eliwood held himself proudly, a grim expression set on his face at what he was about to do; Hector grinned widely, his axe down and ready; and Darin stared down his nose at the four of them.

Then, almost imperceptibly, the marquess' hand shifted on his lance. The three lords scattered from where they were standing when he swung it down at where they had been standing. Eliwood and Lyn both moved to flank Darin while Hector, true to form, charged straight down the middle. The Ostian's brashness didn't seem to faze the marquess in the slightest; he simply picked up his spear and batted at Hector. Hit in the side, he went sailing until he hit the ground and rolled a few times. Scared for him, Adelessa took an instinctive step in that direction – a move mirrored by Matthew – but Hector was already picking himself up from the ground.

His mad rush served as a good distraction, though: Eliwood and Lyn were able to launch a synchronized attack from either side of Darin. He could only block one of them and made the poor choice to fend off Eliwood's sword instead of Lyn's. While Eliwood had to scramble to get away from a back-handed swing of the spear, he got away safely and made the marquess open up his entire other side. The Mani Katti crushed the armor at his elbow, along his ribs, and at his knee in three brutally fast strikes before Lyn danced away.

Crippled and hampered by his own armor, Darin tried to swing at her and missed by a mile when he was slowed down. That left him open to a resounding blow to the chest from Hector's axe. His armor held somehow – Adelessa couldn't imagine how – but from the dull '_crack_' she heard underneath the '_clang_', she imagined that at least one rib had to have broken. Something dark and wet flecked against his lips and Adelessa realized that not only had a rib broken, but it had also pierced a lung. Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn must have realized this as well; they formed a loose arc just out of Darin's reach and watched him warily as he struggled to breathe.

"You won't- you won't beat me," he gasped, the words short and raspy. "You may have- have gotten lucky-" Adelessa shuddered in sympathetic horror when wet, wracking coughs cut him off. He had to prop his lance on the ground and use it for support before he could stop coughing. Pulling his hand away from his mouth, he stared at it in incomprehension that was plain even as far away as Adelessa was.

Darin sank into the chair in which he had been sitting before they challenged him. "Blood? Is this- is that my blood?" He was completely bewildered, then desperation entered his voice. "Ephidel! Come to me! Your master- your master calls you!" Long seconds passed by, marked by how every member of their group held their breath in nervous anticipation. They'd seen Ephidel's power earlier when he had made off with Ninian. When Darin groaned deep in his chest, there was a collective and silent sigh of relief. "I can't die – I am the ruler…." Adelessa walked between the lords and stood before him; he could only stare at her in a pitiable mix of hatred and confusion.

"You will never rule the world," she told him, her voice soft. "Go gently, Darin. Your time is done." She turned away from him after holding his eyes for a few seconds more.

"Young master, if only the rest of you was as thick as your skull, you'd be indestructible," Matthew was saying while he helped Hector to his feet. Hector said a few distinctly unlordly words and clutched his side; Serra was there immediately, the pale blue glow from her healing staff gathering there.

"… he was mad," Lyn said when Adelessa made it back to where the lords had gathered together.

"Consumed by his own lust," Hector agreed, looking at the corpse across the room. "Pitiful fool." Adelessa had to agree with him. _Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely._

Eliwood stood silently, distraught, and gazed at what remained of Marquess Laus. Adelessa put her hand on his arm. "There are people who need you," she reminded him when he looked at her. "Your father and Ninian are waiting." He took a deep breath and nodded, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they were filled with the same determination that had been there when she met him in Pherae.

"Let's go!" he said to the group. There was a door that Adelessa was sure led deeper into the Dragon's Gate. He strode purposefully toward it; the group trickled after him. Adelessa paused only for a moment to watch a few people go past Darin; she turned away when Lucius started giving the body rites, feeling better that the corrupted lord was going to get that at least. It gave her solace after seeing the venomous looks that the other Lycians had given him.

If the entry hall had been dim, the corridors through which they traveled beyond it were even worse. Adelessa could barely see her hand in front of her face; like the others, she dragged one hand on the wall to keep from wandering away from it. Matthew was in front of the entire group, but even he was moving slower than normal. _Could it be like the magic Teodor was using?_ she wondered. _Nergal could be trying to slow us down. Or is it just the way these ruins are?_

The hallway abruptly opened up into a grand echoing chamber. Adelessa couldn't see the roof or any wall besides the one from which they'd just emerged. _How big is this place? _"Father!" The tactician nearly jumped out of her skin when Eliwood yelled for his father. "Father! It's me – Eliwood! I've come to save you!" For a long, heartbreaking moment there wasn't another sound but the reverberation of Eliwood's voice. Then Adelessa heard a faint reply.

"Eliwood, over here!" She grabbed his hand and blundered forward into the darkness. Squinting, she made out a fuzzy figure on the floor ahead of them. As she drew closer, Adelessa could tell that it was a man. More than that, she could see that he also had red hair and wore the same colors as Eliwood.

"Father! You-" Eliwood's voice hitched. He let go of Adelessa's hand and kneeled next to his father. "You're all right."

"Eliwood." The warmth in Elbert's quiet voice briefly made her wish that she wasn't here to intrude. Hector and Lyn crowding behind her helped her feel a little less awkward about it, though it was a near thing. "Wait!" The naked alarm in his voice shocked Adelessa; she gaped at Marquess Pherae. "For-forget me – take that girl and flee!" Squinting in the darkness, she stumbled over some rubble to where he'd pointed. Only when she was in arm's reach did she realize the girl Elbert pointed out was none other than Ninian. "She's – she's the key to the Dragon's Gate. Hurry, hurry – go, before Nergal notices you!"

"Ninian," Eliwood said lowly, "come on – this way! We have to flee!" When she didn't move, Adelessa gently took her hand and almost dropped it: it felt like ice. The dancer was cold to the touch. When she tugged on her hand, the girl failed to move.

"Eliwood, she's not moving," Adelessa hissed desperately.

"I've got your father," Hector's voice announced. There was a strange grim note to it: Adelessa couldn't place what it was, but it wasn't what she normally associated with the otherwise cheerful and boisterous lord. "Get Ninian and get out of here."

Adelessa guided Eliwood to Ninian and made her way carefully back toward the group in time to hear Hector murmur: "Lord Elbert, I'm going to have to move you a little. Be strong." The marquess' response was too quiet for her to hear properly. "Don't worry about that – c'mon, let's blow this joint."

"This way," Lyn called quietly. "Hurry – ah!"

Hector, Eliwood, and Adelessa all came to an abrupt halt, shielding their eyes, when light suddenly flared all around them. While she was blinking frantically in an attempt to clear her vision of spots and adjust to the brightness, she heard a flat voice say, "You will not pass here."

She squinted and, through purple and black spots, made out a man in a tattered black cloak standing directly between them and the group, near the door. "When did you-?" Lyn started.

"You mustn't fight him!" Elbert groaned. When Lyn made an incredulous sound of disbelief, he said, "That man is _dangerous_. You can't defeat him, not on your own."

"Father, there's no time," Eliwood protested, drawing his rapier and putting Ninian down on her feet next to Adelessa. Immediately, she wrapped her arms around the dancer, drawing her close. The icy temperature of her skin scared her. _No one should be this cold! _"This danger must be faced." Ninian's eyes were even more blank and lifeless than any other time Adelessa had seen them: they might as well have been doll's eyes for all the emotion and recognition they displayed.

"Be a good boy," came Ephidel's voice; he'd teleported in next to Jaffar, "and listen to your father, young master Eliwood." Adelessa looked up and moved Ninian slightly so she was halfway blocking the girl from the golden-eyed man. "Even among the Black Fang, this man is feared for his skill." The black-cloaked man with the dead eyes next to him didn't so much as blink at Ephidel's words. "You are no match for him, even as a group." Ephidel looked over at him. "You've done well, Jaffar. That is all. Return to Bern and begin your next assignment." Jaffar left without another word; he so intimidated those in the group that they simply let him pass into the hallway through which they'd traveled to get here. He seemed to melt into the shadows.

"Hear my word!" Ephidel's grand proclamation grabbed Adelessa's attention again. "I have an invitation from my master. In honor of your hard-fought arrival, he's prepared a special show for you." The oily smile he gave them did not bode well.

"No!" Elbert's voice was filled with nothing but horror. Adelessa learned why when he gasped out his next sentence. "You can't release the dragons!"

She sucked in a breath. Suddenly she shared his same horror. Releasing the creatures that built this place, the ones that so devastated all of the armies of Elibe in the Scouring? No wonder it had him scared. She was scared, too. "What do you mean, release the dragons?" she asked.

"Oh, you'll know shortly. Unfortunately, it will cost Marquess Pherae his life."

Elbert grunted in pain, then groaned; Adelessa almost turned to look at him, but Ninian stirring in her arms distracted her. Her eyes were glowing and she was straining to face in the opposite direction Adelessa was oriented. When Adelessa turned to look, she froze and stared in disbelief. The reason this place was called the Dragon's Gate finally made sense to her: there was an enormous arch with dragons carved all along it. A film of what looked like fire danced along the inner edges of the arch.

A tugging deep in Adelessa's gut made her weak. Ninian simply stepped out of her hold and walked toward the Gate. Nergal teleported next to her when she was a few paces away. He leaned in close to the blue-haired girl; even from here and feeling like she was about to be sick, Adelessa could see the smile on his face. "Now, Ninian," he said, "at last – open the Dragon's Gate." Ninian raised her hands. As she spread them out from her body, the fire in the arch spread until it created a film of flame that filled the entire area within it. The floor began to shake and Adelessa couldn't keep her feet; she dropped to her knees, hands only just bracing her on the ground, as she stared at the Gate. She swore that she could almost see the faint image of buildings and trees in the flames, but surely she couldn't-

She was. There was another world on the other side of that gate, and she could see it. "Yes, that's it," Nergal murmured encouragingly to Ninian, his hand on her shoulder. "Come this way, dragon." The ghost-like image of what she could only imagine was a dragon – could there be anything else nearly that terrifying? – appeared in the flames. "Yes – come, children of flame. Come to me!"

With his last command, the creature in the flames started to push its way through. Adelessa could only stare in mute terror as first the snout of the dragon, filled with sharp teeth, pushed out. A part of her noted that it was the same color orange as the flames. The rest of the head, with blank, opaque eyes pushed out next, followed by a muscled neck and forelegs. Wings made of fire jetted up from its back. Claws that could easily cut a man in two sprouted from its feet. In the instant that it was halfway out of the portal, it gave a scream that made Adelessa tremble and raise one hand to her ear to check for blood. Nergal must have been saying something – he was waving his hands – but she couldn't hear what it was after that shriek. Ninian swayed on her feet; even Adelessa could tell that she was fatigued, but still the dragon kept coming through the portal.

That's when a familiar little form darted across the chamber and _shoved_ Nergal away from Ninian. _Nils!_He grabbed Ninian's hand and dragged her away from the Dragon's Gate. Ephidel reached for the boy, but he and Ninian ran fast enough that they could avoid him, though Ninian stumbled several times. "… ere!" Adelessa's hearing started to return and she stared at Nils as he ran right at her. "Hurry! The dragon is crumbling – we need to run!" She couldn't get up on her own; hands grabbed her by her upper arms and hoisted her to her feet. Glancing over her shoulder, she began to run behind Nils when he grabbed her hand with his free one.

She realized his hand was freezing cold, too.

Nergal teleported away. Ephidel was stuck close to the dragon, apparently unable to teleport. The dragon was fraying into bursts of flame and screaming again; the portal was closing in on itself. Then she couldn't see anymore – she was in the hallway, being ushered onward by Kent to safety. The ground jumped under her feat as the sound of a whooshing explosion roared past her; the group spilled out into the entry hall.

Immediately there was a strong grip tearing Nils' hand out of hers. "You little whelp," Nergal growled, holding the boy tightly by the arm. "I've failed because of your interference! Come – both of you!" He had Ninian by the arm as well; both of them struggled against him, their shouts of protest overlapping into an unintelligible but understandable clamor. Adelessa got to her feet – to do what, she had no idea-

But Elbert beat her to it. She didn't know how he'd gotten to his feet, as pale as he was, or where he'd gotten the knife from. It was buried deep in Nergal's chest, though. "You… will not take them!" the lord said.

"What?" Nergal let go of the two children; they ran and hid by Adelessa. The dark mage touched the cloth on his chest where blood was spreading from his wound. "Impossible. Not by your hand."

Elbert smiled grimly. "I told you," he gasped as his knees hit the ground. "I will… oppose you. Always."

Nergal sneered at him, starting to slowly turn transparent. "Why… won't… you… die?" He made a faint noise of pain right before he disappeared entirely.

Elbert collapsed to the side; Eliwood was there to catch him. Only then did Adelessa see the crimson stain on the marquess' side; he had been injured at some point. _That was why Hector sounded grim_. "Be prepared, Eliwood," he whispered. "He will return…."

Eliwood shook his head and then nodded, his eyes frantic. "All right, but – but for now, let's leave this place, let's go _home_."

"No, my son." The words were tired and hollow. "I'm done here. You… you will have to finish this."

"No – don't _say_ that! Mother is waiting in Pherae!" Eliwood's voice was desperate. Adelessa could hear tears in it. "She's _waiting _for you, Father!"

"Ah, Eleanora… she will be cross with me." Elbert's eyes closed. "Eliwood… your mother… I'm sorry. Tell her… I'm… sorry…."

"Father?" Adelessa bowed her head. Ninian and Nils both buried their faces in her sides; she drew them in tightly for a hug. "No – please, not now, not after all we've done to find you again." He sobbed. "Father, please… open your eyes!" The pain of losing a parent – it was indescribable. Adelessa bit the inside of her mouth to keep from making any noise or sobbing along with him. She had to stay quiet. She couldn't let anyone see her just as upset. She felt the warm wetness of Ninian and Nils' tears soaking through her over-tunic.

After a few minutes, she felt like she was composed enough. There was work she needed to do and no one else would be able to pick up the slack. She passed off the siblings to Lyn, who scooped them into her own hug, and began giving quiet orders to prepare them for their trip back to the _Davros_. There were any number of shocked and dazed expressions in the group; Hector stood with Lyn behind Eliwood, his eyes holding an infinite grief. Adelessa moved through the group, offering a hand here, a hug there, a quiet word to each person, as she gently guided them to the exit.

They needed to get moving; Adelessa's grieving could wait. She had to get all of them home first.

**A/N:** Sorry that this is a week later than normal, but it was a doozy to write. _))) I got sick, too, which didn't help, haha. Thanks for being so patient!

On that note, I'll be returning to school again. Those of you who were with me January to April of this winter/spring know that this means my updates are going to slow waaaaaay down while I try to do schoolwork. D: Hopefully I'll do better this term, but I have no promises. Siiiiiigh.

Thanks to my wonderful beta **Ryan!** He helped oodles with typos this time around. Thanks to my lovely reviewers as well: **Tom-Ato13, Solyeuse, patattack, MilleniaMaster, Drachegirl14, crazyemeralddragons, Sentury, AquaticSilver,** and **angelbeets**! :3 Thanks so much for your kind words and feedback!

We'll see if I can follow this chapter up well! See you next week!


	32. New Resolve

New Resolve

The return trip to the _Davros _was somber and nearly silent. Everyone was trapped in a cloud of either grief or numb shock at this sudden series of events. Their quest had gone from a relatively simple one of recovering a missing father and snatching a friend back from the clutches of an evil mage to realizing that all of Elibe was in danger of Nergal's wish to bring dragons to this world. Even Raven's iron nerves and Lucius' calm stability had eroded entirely from their encounter with the dragon.

Adelessa had kept herself going on sheer willpower, guiding the group over the course of two days to return to the ship. She didn't sleep; every time she laid down and closed her eyes, the sight of the dragon set her to shaking and her mind raced to find a way to counter the threat. She didn't eat because she both lacked an appetite and knew it would just make her more miserable on the ship once they set sail for Lycia. She kept herself busy tending to those in the group worse off from their experience in the Dragon's Gate – Florina and Serra spent a lot of time in her company, as did Bartre and Guy.

This meant that, by the time they got to the ship, Adelessa was drop-dead _tired_. Despite that, she didn't retire to a cabin. She knew better. She grabbed a cushion, dragged a few barrels around, and made herself a little cubby in an out-of-the-way corner on deck. Her rest had lasted the whole mark it took them to depart and half a mark into their voyage back to Lycia, when the first wave of seasickness swept over her. Jake kept an eye on her while Dart stayed with Captain Fargus.

She and Guy kept each other company in their shared misery. The myrmidon was a little better off than she was – he was only up at the rail once in a while rather than Adelessa's near-constant presence – but any company was better than none. Between bouts of leaning over the rail, they talked about his work in honing his swordplay, the differences between Etrurian and Sacaean culture, and what Adelessa's schooling had been like.

He wasn't the only person who kept her company, though most other members of the group were off in their own little worlds. Rebecca came by several times to offer her water and stayed to talk if Adelessa was feeling up to it. She'd taken the death of Lord Elbert hard and was still off-balance. Adelessa tried to be there for her as much as she could. Dart swung by every now and then with Jake, though he wasn't nearly as cheerful as normal. When it was sunny outside, Erk would join her on the deck and read books with her for a mark or two. Hector and Lyn stopped by for short periods to make sure she was doing okay: since they were busy working with the others from their cantons, they couldn't stay for long.

There were a couple times where Adelessa felt well enough to wander from the rail over the course of the voyage. The first chance she got, the tactician headed down to check in on Eliwood. He had buried his father the night after the group left the Dragon's Gate. When she entered his cabin, Adelessa found him staring blankly into space. Her kneeling in front of him made him snap out of it. When she wordlessly offered him a hug, he took it. If he cried, she never said a thing about it. She stayed with him until her stomach started its tell-tale churning again.

The next time came late the next day, when a moment of clarity reminded her that she hadn't seen Matthew since they boarded the ship to leave the Dread Isle. While she didn't much care for the idea of going below decks to find him, Adelessa couldn't in good conscience leave him be. He'd taken a beating on the island. Adelessa didn't want to just assume he was fine.

Luckily for her, she spotted the familiar red cloak and blond hair partially obscured by a stack of boxes on the forecastle. Picking her way carefully over to him in the wan light from lanterns on deck, Adelessa stopped to study him for a moment. He sat silently by the railing, his shoulders slumped and his head bowed. Tugging her over-tunic more tightly around herself, she carefully sat down on a crate next to his. She gazed out at the horizon and the way the lights from the ship and the stars shimmered on the water. The silence between them was too precarious for her to dare to break it. If Matthew wanted to tell her, he would. If he just wanted her company, she would be happy with that.

"I knew Leila ever since we were both kids running around the keep," Matthew said after several minutes. Adelessa looked over at him and saw that he was fussing with something gold; she couldn't tell exactly what it was in this light. "She got picked to work as a spy before I did. Hah – she's probably the one who told them I would be good at the job." He laced his fingers together. His knuckles were white. "She was always there to keep me in check, you know? It was always like – like where one was, the other would be too, at least when we were learning the ropes. Even when we ended up working in different areas, it wasn't so hard, because we knew we'd run into each other soon-"

Adelessa didn't try to hold her sympathy from her face when Matthew looked up at her. His face crumpled just after he looked up at her; she didn't hesitate. She reached forward and wrapped him up in a tight hug. His arms immediately reached around her and he sobbed once, twice into her neck. "I can't believe she's _gone_." The absolute grief and sheer desolation in his voice made her eyes fill with tears.

_If only I could have done something to protect her, _she thought. Half-curving around him, Adelessa wished that there was something she could do to make this better. "Oh, Matthew," she whispered. Her voice was quivering with threatening tears. "I'm so sorry."

His hands tightened into fists, clutching the cloth of her overtunic. "I- I am, too." He shook in her hold, and she leaned her head to one side so he was gently cradled in her grasp. "She meant the _world_to me," he whispered brokenly. "Knowing that she isn't around anym-more-" Adelessa couldn't hold back any longer: all the tears she'd been holding at bay from Elbert's death, the heaviness of the grief on the group, all the responsibilities so suddenly thrust upon her…. She sobbed with Matthew, holding him tight to her.

She wasn't sure when their tears finally ran out or for how long they clung to each other. It was long enough that the sun fully set and the moon solemnly stared down at them from behind cloudy veils. Matthew was the one to draw back – Adelessa let him go without complaint. She was surprised that he hadn't pulled away sooner, if she was going to be honest with herself. Dragging her hand across her eyes got rid of the lingering wetness there. When she heard Matthew snuffle, she offered him a handkerchief from her belt.

That got a chuckle from him. "Always prepared, huh?" he asked, taking it and noisily blowing his nose.

"You know you're not surprised," she replied. "A good tactician always has his tools handy."

"Or hers," he added. He set the handkerchief next to him on his crate. "I'll wash it and get it back to you later. Thanks, Aydie." He leaned back against a barrel and looked out at the waves. Silver-white light bounced on the water, a cold counterpoint to the faint light from lanterns.

"You're welcome. Let me know if there's anything else I can do." His absent nod didn't sell her that he'd actually do so – she knew what it looked like when someone was miles away – but she knew better than to try to get anything more out of him right now. He was as private a person as she was, after all. She picked her way back across the deck to her little cubby and hunkered down there to suffer through the rest of the night.

The rest of the voyage passed without note. Adelessa's fasting before she left Valor had let her avoid being as horribly ill as she had been on the trip in, but only at the cost of being weaker than watered-down tea. While she was strong enough to get herself off of the ship when they docked in Badon again, she was in no condition to do anything more than curl up on a chair in the inn there and nibble on the meal that Serra put in front of her. As soon as the cleric was reassured that Adelessa had eaten as much of her lunch as she was going to, the tactician was bundled off to bed.

She slept better than she had since leaving for the Dread Isle. Her nap lasted from noon to when the rest of her traveling companions returned from their after-dinner activities. The sight of the dark sky through her window made her sigh; she'd have to work to get her sleeping habits back in order if it was any later than just after sunset. A quick glance around the room informed her that she was sharing it with Rebecca, as usual, and also Ninian and Nils, if the instruments and dress on the far bed were any indication.

Her suspicions were confirmed when, only a minute after she'd finished brushing her hair and pulling on new clothes, the two siblings entered the room. "Aydie!" Nils cried. He crashed into her and she gave him a hug. "You're awake!" Adelessa offered her other arm to Ninian and squeezed both of them close. _I'm so glad that they're all right – there were so many chances for them to get hurt or stolen away, where I wouldn't have been able to help them._

"_Goodness_, Nils, you've grown since the last time we were together," she said once she let go of them. He'd gained a bit of height, though he hadn't quite lost the all-elbows-and-knees look yet. Nils gave her a beaming, bright smile and laughed. Ninian only smiled slightly, but Adelessa considered that a good step forward after everything the poor girl had suffered. The fact that she was smiling and aware instead of the blank-faced slackness she'd had since the group fished her out of the drifting dory was more than Adelessa could have initially hoped for. "I'm afraid I missed dinner. Would you mind coming with me to see if I can find some?"

"Only if I get your dessert!" Nils scampered over to the door to open it for her. Chuckling, the tactician made her way out into the hall. Only a couple of other guests were present in the hall, neither of them members of her group. Ninian led the way to the dining room while Nils happily hummed and skipped next to Adelessa. He peppered her with questions about what she'd done over the past year – not so much about her studies, though he "ooooh"ed over her spyglass when she showed it to him – but rather about the places she traveled.

"You did _all _of that in a year?" he asked once Adelessa finished summarizing her travels. He snagged the sweet roll off of her plate when they sat down at a table. "You were as busy as me'n Ninian!" He punctuated that statement with a quiet, "Oops," when the glaze from the roll dripped a glob all over his fingers.

"Nils," his sister scolded when he licked the fingers on one hand.

"Well, here's trouble." Adelessa felt sorry for poor Ninian; the dancer turned bright red and looked like she wanted to hide under the table in embarrassment at her little brother's awful manners, especially since the lords just happened to show up while Nils still had his fingers popped into his mouth. Hector grinned at them and ruffled Nils' hair; the boy swatted at him. Lyn chuckled even while Eliwood sighed at the antics. "Cut him some slack – those rolls are _good_." The blue-haired lord leaned in conspiratorially and stage-whispered, "I licked my fingers too."

Adelessa threw Ninian a line when she gave her a pleading stare. "You two were busy over your year away?"

"Yeah – you wouldn't _believe _how much has happened since we left you when you went back to Etruria! Or, well," Nils amended after taking a bite of the treat, "you probably would, since it sounds like you were just as busy."

Hector looked between the siblings and Adelessa. "Are you going to talk about things the rest of us can follow, or do I have to sit here and be baffled?" He pulled up a chair and settled in next to Adelessa.

"Did you ever get properly introduced?" she asked when she saw the suspicious look that Nils gave Hector. When Nils shook his head, Adelessa motioned for Lyn and Eliwood to join them. "This is Hector – he's Marquess Ostia's brother. He's nice, and I trust him."

"He acts mean, but he's not _so_bad," Lyn teased. Hector spluttered at her in protest while the bard snickered. "And I think you might remember this one," she added, waving at Eliwood. The lord from Pherae waved and smiled slightly.

"Yep! I remember him. He's the one who helped Ninian, when the Black Fang tried to take her away when you helped me last year." Nils popped the last of the sweet roll in his mouth. "You're Elbert's son – you have his hair and eyes and voice. You're just like him."

Eliwood looked pleased and sad both at this observation. Adelessa pulled out a chair for him to sit in, and he joined them at the table with a quiet murmur of thanks. "Nils, where did you meet my father?"

"At the Dragon's Gate," the boy answered, wiping his hands on the cloth that Adelessa offered him. "He set us free after we'd been captured. We – Ninian and me – we escaped in a small boat, but I got thrown out in a storm." Ninian grabbed her brother's hand and held it tightly. "When I woke up, I was on Valor again. I didn't have anything else I could do, so I just hid in the ruins. It was easy since I was alone. But then I sensed something dangerous – _really_dangerous, so I ran back to the Dragon's Gate. When I got there…." He squeezed Ninian's hand and leaned against her. He looked very young. It was hard not to reach out to comfort him.

"When we pulled Ninian from the boat, she didn't remember anything," Lyn explained. "I can't believe we brought her right back to Nergal. What a _horrible _thing to do. … I'm sorry."

"No, Lady Lyn – Lady Lyn, you did nothing wrong," Ninian insisted quietly. "When Nils fell overboard, I- I didn't know what to do. I lost myself and- If I had been stronger, all of this could have been avoided." Adelessa reached over to rest a hand on Ninian's shoulder when she saw the guilt on Ninian's face. "I am… I am truly sorry." She bowed her head and Nils hugged her close.

"Ninian's power is stronger than mine," he explained after a moment of silence. "But… it saps her strength. Nergal knew that." Adelessa gave up; she got up and went over to hug both of them. They clung to her and each other. Her heart was breaking for both of them. _Such hardships for kids so __young. These two are _so _brave_.

"… was he after you," Eliwood ventured after a few moments of quiet, "because you have the ability to call dragons?"

Nils shook his head and looked up from where he had his face buried into Adelessa's shirt. "He can call dragons on his own just fine. He needs us to open the Gate."

"You're serious – he can call _dragons?_" Hector echoed.

Nils nodded. "Mhm. It needs a lot of quintessence, but he can do it."

"Quintessence?" Adelessa asked gently. The word sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"That's what he called it. It's… the substance of the human spirit. Power. Energy. The essence of life." She felt both of them shiver and tightened her grip on both of them. "… Nergal, he- he stole quintessence from people." Adelessa didn't have to ask her next question. "And… and when he does, people die." He caught the stunned looks from Hector and Eliwood and frantically added, "We don't have that power! Ninian and me don't – Lyn, Aydie, you _know _we don't, we only have our special power!"

"Shhh." Adelessa rubbed his back soothingly and gave the lords a warning look. "We know, Nils. We weren't accusing you of doing anything like that."

"… he needed a lot of quintessence," the boy continued after a long moment. "So he, he sent his henchman, Ephidel, out to Lycia, to get close to Marquess Laus. He wanted to make Darin start a war."

"To what end?" Eliwood asked gently.

"Everyone has a different amount of quintessence, or something like that. Someone who's strong – in body, sure, but in mind too – has a _lot _more energy than normal people. There aren't many people like that, though. It took too long for Nergal to find people like that. Even though it was going to take more time, Nergal said that starting a war would be the easiest way to get as much as he needed."

"He planned to make up for quality with _quantity?_" Hector asked, disbelief and fury plain in his tone. "That's his plan? That- that black-hearted _demon_ – are men nothing but _pawns _to him?"

Nils hunched into Adelessa's arm. "… he… he brought Elbert to the Dragon's Gate," he continued, his voice tiny. "He said he- he said he'd found the ideal source they had sought. Nergal's plans for starting a war were ruined, but… he'd found a replacement, in the knights traveling with Elbert. And- and he was sure he'd get even better quintessence from Elbert-"

Eliwood's pained grimace made Nils murmur an apology into Adelessa's shirt. The red-haired lord closed his eyes and visibly struggled with his grief. "It's all right, Nils," he said finally, his voice sad but calm. "When I found my father there… I knew already. I knew his knights were no longer alive."

Nils looked over at the lord again. "He- your father? He told us about you, that he had a son. He told us all kinds of things, like how you're blessed with fighting ability, but that you're compassionate and hate to fight. He said that he was sure his son would be a better ruler than he was. And he told us that he'd rather sacrifice himself than see Lycia muddled up in war." Eliwood nodded for Nils to go on. "When Ninian and I… when we'd lost hope at the Dragon's Gate, your father always told stories about happy things. Mostly about his son, his cherished son, and his dear wife. Those stories – they saved Ninian and me. We loved him – we loved him very much."

"Oh, Fa- Father," Eliwood sighed, just loud enough that Adelessa could hear the hitch in his voice. She looked up and saw that the expression on Hector's face matched how she felt. Her heart tugged painfully a second time when she saw the echo of grief on Lyn's face. _The pain of losing her parents is still fresh, too. Oh, Lyn…._

When Lyn made a questioning noise at Hector's motions for her to leave, he murmured, "We should let him alone for a while." Adelessa was already herding Ninian and Nils up from the table. Ninian excused herself and went down a different hallway than the rest of them; they were quiet until they made it out into a courtyard. From the scuffs of dust, Adelessa was willing to bet that it had been used as the practice area earlier in the evening. _No wonder Hector would lead us here_.

"Should you be out here?" Lyn asked Hector. When he looked at her quizzically, she continued with, "Shouldn't you be with him?"

The Ostian lord shrugged ever-so-slightly. "I thought about it, but… Eliwood needs his space. 'Sides, it looked like someone else was ready to start crying."

"Aydie?" Nils' question caught her attention. "Can I go? I want to find where Ninian went."

Hector shook his head. "Your sister's been through a lot. She could probably use some time alo-"

"I don't need you to tell me what she's been through," Nils interrupted flatly, glaring at the lord. Several moments of uneasy silence stretched between them, in which Adelessa eased over to a bench and sat down.

"So, what now?" Hector asked her after a moment.

"We'll have to figure out what happened to Nergal," Adelessa replied after only a few seconds of thought. "That was quite a wound Lord Elbert gave him."

"That won't kill him."

Adelessa tried not to be too dismayed. _Nothing's ever that easy, not in my life. I don't know why I hoped it would be. _"Lord Elbert said that, too. Can you tell me why not?"

"Nergal uses the quintessence on himself, too, not just to call dragons. His wounds heal quickly, and- his body doesn't age."

Adelessa felt horror crawl down her spine at that news. That was fundamentally _wrong_, to abuse magic in that way. _And this is why dark magic shouldn't have ever happened, Elimine keep the peace. _"He isn't… he isn't human?" Lyn asked while the tactician tried to keep her skin from crawling.

"It's more- if nothing else, he's-" Nils stopped mid-thought and his eyes glazed over in a way with which Adelessa was all too familiar. She was rising to her feet even as he blurted, "Call everyone – enemies approach!"

"And here I'd thought that Eliwood could get some rest," Hector muttered, hurrying to tighten the straps on his armor.

"Why don't we just handle this on our own?" Lyn asked. "Aydie, don't you think we can? I mean, this way he doesn't have to know, not until it's all-"

"Here you are!" They turned to face Eliwood, who was standing in the doorway with his cheeks red from exertion. "Good – listen, there's going to be a fight, and I want to get this done quickly to protect the villagers. If we meet the enemy commander, we can drive them out of here!" Adelessa, Lyn, and Hector shared a silent conference over the period of several seconds. Each of them knew that there would be no keeping Eliwood out of it, not when he was like this.

"Hey," Hector said to Nils, "go take cover in the inn."

"But I can _help!_" the boy protested.

"Yes, you can," Adelessa agreed. Four heads swiveled to stare at her in shock. "But," she continued, "I think Ninian needs you more right now. You should stay with her." Nils' face fell a bit, but he nodded despite his disappointment. She waited until the boy had run back inside before she turned her attention back to the lords. "We need to gather everyone," she said. "I want some people to stay inside and protect Ninian and Nils in case this is a Black Fang attack. I want… Dorcas, Bartre, and Fiora to stay inside with them, and anyone who's still recovering from the voyage. I want everyone to meet me in front of the inn as soon as possible." The three lords bolted to gather the others and Adelessa hurried to recall what she could of the town's layout. She had been mostly-asleep when they made port earlier in the day, but she remembered it well enough from their skirmish with Fargus' men.

She had scrawled out a rough map in the dirt and was considering different strategies by the time the group fell in. There were a couple of people missing besides the three she'd named – Guy, for instance, which she wasn't surprised by, and she was quickly informed that Priscilla was staying inside to tend to him. Legault and Merlinus also had decided to remain behind.

"This is not a situation where we are enduring a siege," was the first thing she said to the group. "If we sit back and hunker down, whoever is attacking will happily raze Badon after pillaging it. These people need our protection. Fargus and his crew can take care of the harbor and the docks like they normally do, but they don't nearly have enough men to protect the rest of the town. I want you to light torches – non-combat units, I want you to carry them. We'll need all the visibility we can get. Lucius, if you have the energy for it, I would appreciate your casting a light spell, but only if it won't drain you. I have no idea if they have shamans on their side, and I don't care to risk fighting them with any other means if they do.

"Florina, Fiora, I want you to watch from the sky and give me information about any enemy movement that you see. If you so much as _think_ you see an archer, I want you to land and stay grounded until we've cleared them out. Those with torches and good night vision, I want you near the front of the lines, but not close enough that you can get caught up in any melee attacks. I want my horsemen to stay with the main group – this is no time for dashing heroics. That means _you_, Sain. No, don't give me that look, it's not going to work.

"The town is small enough that if we sweep through in two or three groups per section, we should be able to make a rout of it easily enough. If we can find and defeat their leader, that would be even better. Now, then, if we form two groups to go east and south through the streets…." She neatly split up the party. The group going east was slightly larger than the one going to the south, if only because that was the larger street and where Adelessa anticipated more opposition. "Marcus, Lowen, if you could ride around the inn and check its immediate surroundings, I would feel _much_ better about leaving people here. After you've done that, join either group. Understood? Does anyone have any questions?" Adelessa waited for a moment; when no one spoke up, she continued with, "All of you already know who you can look to if you need direction and I'm not immediately available. Just remember that our priority is _protecting _these people."

She watched for a moment while the groups formed up as she'd assigned them. The pegasus sisters were preparing to take to the air, and the Caelin group was staging to head south. There was no reason to break up their group when they already worked well together. She did, however, elect to send Lucius and Raven with them for a little more help. The rest prepared to travel on the main street through town.

_Now, what's this? _Adelessa quickly walked over to where Eliwood was in a discussion with Ninian, of all people. The girl looked less wan and drawn than she had just a few minutes earlier, when she had begged off joining the rest of the group outside. "-no mere dancer," Adelessa caught her saying. "My dances can help you – please, just let me help."

"What's going on?" Adelessa asked. "Ninian, I had thought that you would stay inside with your brother, where it's safe – this may be an attempt by Nergal to get you back." It was a low blow, and Adelessa knew it. From the way Ninian winced, Adelessa knew that she'd made her point.

Though, apparently, in not quite the way she'd expected. "I know," Ninian conceded, "but that's _why _I want to help. You're all out there, risking your lives, and I'm hiding and letting you protect me without doing anything in return. Please, tell me what you'd like me to do. My dances – they can protect and refresh, like Nils' music." Adelessa found herself staring into pleading red eyes for the second time that night. As much as her protective instincts screamed to send Ninian back inside, she knew that to do so would only cause trouble and hurt feelings.

"Eliwood, do you think you can keep her safe if I assign her to stay close to you?" Adelessa asked. If she couldn't keep Ninian inside where it was safe, she could at least keep her close to someone who would make sure to keep her as close to safe as could be managed in combat. He nodded in answer, and the tactician turned back to Ninian. "You have to listen to him, understand?" The dancer nodded. "If he tells you to fall back, you have to retreat immediately. No one wants to see you get hurt, and Eliwood keeps his wits about him in battle. You'll be the safest with him. I'll want to talk to you in the morning to learn what all you can do with your dances, too, if Eliwood tells me you've done well here. Just… use your head, and be _careful_. I don't want to have to give Nils any bad news." Ninian nodded again, more solemnly this time. "Then go ahead and stay close to him. Take care of her, Eliwood."

"I will," he promised. Both of them hurried off to join up with the rest of the group. Adelessa watched for a moment as Hector gave a skeptical glance at them before shrugging and shaking his head. _I guess he must have seen the logic in it. …or at least decided that _that _fight wasn't worth the bother right now._ She was willing to bet that it was the latter. Looking around, she could see that Marcus and Lowen had already left for their ride-around sweep of the area and the Caelin forces were on the move. _Time to join up with the main group, _she decided.

Unsurprisingly, Matthew was waiting right where she had intended to be in the formation. She didn't need to ask why he was there; he didn't need to explain. They'd both gotten used to this set-up when visibility was poor. Tonight definitely qualified. Adelessa stuck close to Hector and Eliwood so that he didn't have to wander far from his lord to do this favor for her.

Things started going sideways as soon as they started down the street. Adelessa's worries that this was a Black Fang attack were confirmed as soon as she saw the quality of the dark garments that a couple of men wore. Instead of ransacking an armory, they were quietly sabotaging it. _Well, it looks like this is going to be exactly as unpleasant as I thought it was going to be._ When Hector hollered at them, they startled and drew what looked like quality weapons. Adelessa offered up a quick prayer in the second before combat was joined. The noise of Hector crossing weapons with the swordsmen would draw attention to them. _At least this means Lyn's group will have less opposition_, she thought. _Hopefully_.

Sure enough; even as Oswin joined in to assist his lord, Matthew murmured in her ear. "Down the street, from both the left and right side streets. Large figures – I'm pretty sure they're horsemen, not sure how many. A few people that look like they have robes on, too." She said distracted thanks in return and watched to make sure that Oswin and Hector weren't going to get overwhelmed in their fight. It turned out that there was no need to worry; both were fine.

"I need anyone with weapons effective against horsemen to get ready for a cavalry charge, unknown numbers," she called out. Eliwood stepped up; Ninian hovered nervously next to Adelessa, clinging to the tactician's arm. Serra quietly tried to pull her away, with no success. Hector battered his opponent until he won, then grabbed Canas to stand behind him and give back-up - at least, that's what she could gather from their body language. Dart bounced forward to join the front line, twin axes in hand. Oswin had just enough time to move up so he was next to his lord and grab a pike when it was offered-

And then the cavalry charge started.

Adelessa instinctively moved to stand in front of Ninian in the instant before the first cavalier attacked. Oswin took the brunt of the first attack, with Hector and Dart diverting the rest of it. Eliwood, by virtue of how he stood just a little further behind the others, avoided any of the attacks from the four cavalry units. Dart, reckless pirate that he was, immediately launched himself into the fray despite not having nearly as much reach with his axes as the cavaliers' lances did. In a manner that Adelessa could only describe as near-miraculous, the young man avoided the strikes, broke one of the lances, and completely tangled up two of the others. He did this so remarkably well that half the enemy troops were stuck for a few seconds, plenty long for Eliwood and Hector to step in and attack. Only one cavalier was able to swing around and retreat, and even he didn't make it far: Canas calmly took him out with a spell.

"Don't _do_ that," Adelessa scolded Dart while he casually fixed his bandana. "You're going to get yourself _killed _if you keep doing things that way!" She checked to see if he was injured and was completely amazed when he didn't have a scratch on him.

"Suicide squad, ma'am!" he reminded her cheerfully. "Saint Elimine protects children and idiots, you know. Where d'you need me next?" She reassured him that he was just fine where he was and looked over at the street again when Matthew tapped her shoulder.

She was trying to spot anything out of the ordinary as he started to speak. "People coming from the street to the north," he observed. "They look like they're on foot, and I can't see any weapons. Probably mages of some sort? And there's movement to the south, but I can't tell anything more than that."

"That's where I sent the Caelin troops," Adelessa murmured back. "Hopefully that's just them getting in position."

"Here's to hope," he replied wryly. She smiled grimly: it was a precarious thing on which to lean, but under these conditions she didn't have a better idea.

"Canas, could yo-" The start of her order was cut off by lances of white zipping from the gloomy streets. Dropping to the ground, Adelessa frantically glanced around. Hector was down, but Serra was already tending to him. Canas had been shoved down by the lord and was staggering to his feet. No one else appeared to be hurt; the group was just shaken. _Why would there be clergy working with these people?_ Adelessa wondered. _And _blast _it – there's no one in this group who's strong against light magic!_

"Take aim," she heard from down the street. Matthew and Dart both moved to shield her from the few mages that she could see. _But there isn't a need to brace for impact_, a corner of her mind insisted. _You know that voice!_ She placed Kent's commanding yell an instant before the crackle of thunder magic shot forward in jagged lines to hit the mages. Erk's magic downed most of them in the first hit; Lucius' magic drove the rest away. Adelessa couldn't keep herself from smiling widely at the timely help. _Thank goodness that worked, _she thought as she got to her feet.

"Hey, Aydie, come look at this!" Sain called out cheerfully to her. After a moment to check that everyone in this group was either fine or being tended to and a quick confirmation that Matthew couldn't see any threats, Adelessa hurried to the side street where the rest of the Caelin group was waiting.

"You have good timing," she told them as soon as she was within conversation distance. Several laughed; Sain slapped her on the back and gave her a hug. Erk and Lucius merely accepted her compliment with modest dignity. "What did you want me to see?"

"Ayde, want me to try my hand with a ballista again?" She couldn't help herself; she giggled a little bit at the childish glee on Wil's face. He bounced eagerly, ready at the firing mechanisms of the siege engine. "I bet I can do better than I did last year!"

"If you do see any targets that deserve a bolt, I wouldn't mind," she said. "Just make sure to watch out for Florina and Fiora – I don't want any friendly fire, understood?" Wil gave his emphatic agreement. Adelessa took a moment to check on the two pegasus knights – that she hadn't heard from them was fairly good news, though she couldn't help but be worried. They were so _small_, after all, and in such a dangerous position-

One. Two. Adelessa hissed in a dismayed breath as she kept counting what she could see. Three. Four. Five…. There were _far_ too many blurs moving around against the night sky. "Wil," she called without turning to look at him, "I'm going to need you to get the ballista ready _right now_."

"Already done, Ayde." His goofy manner was gone at the concerned tone of her voice. "What's wrong?"

"There are other flying units up there. Matthew," she said to the spy who had just arrived with the rest of her units, "go spot for Wil, if you can – everyone else, form up in a defensive ring. Rebecca, I'll need you to be paying a _lot _of attention. Anyone who can't take a hit, I want you standing by someone who can defend you-"

"Take your own blasted advice before you get yourself killed, then," Hector grumbled at her. He herded her toward the ring that was already mostly-formed and planted himself next to her. "Good _grief_, Aydie." She gave him an apologetic smile, which only made him huff out a "Hmph!" at her and shake his head. "We didn't bring you back from the brink just to lose you again." _That_ made her flinch and duck her head. _He's right – taking too many risks is unacceptable. Get your head out of the clouds, Adelessa!_

"Keep your heads down!" was Wil's cheerful warning right before the ballista fired. Immediately three figures plummeted toward the ground. Two of them, the tactician was glad to see, were her pegasus knights: both uninjured but shaken by the bolt that struck the- it wasn't another pegasus, Adelessa realized, but a _wyvern_. _Because things weren't bad enough!_ she thought nervously, her thumb rubbing over her medallion. Pegasus knights, while more resistant to magic, were less tough than the Bernese wyvern knights. Added on to that was the fact that the wyvern riders were _far _more capable of landing strong hits. "Reloading!"

"Rebecca, here one comes," Adelessa warned. She glanced over her shoulder to see the girl set her feet and deliberately aim at the gray-green wyvern that started to dive at her. The archer gave a steely grin and let loose her arrow. It buried itself to the fletching in the beast's eye; both it and the rider crashed into the ground with a wince-worthy _CRUNCH_. The last hovered just out of reach, wheeling above the group. _Why would he be doing that? _Adelessa frowned; it didn't make sense for him just to be passively watching them, not when-

"Augh!" Out of the corner of her eye, Adelessa saw Kent reel in the saddle. When she focused on him, she saw an arrow sprouting from left shoulder. In spite of the pain that had caused him to cry out, he raised his sword and faced his attacker. He had more muscle than Adelessa could remember seeing on a single person and held his bow with the same easy familiarity that Rebecca used hers. Not only that, but he carried an axe on his back like it weighed nothing. _Well, this bodes poorly._

"Your journey ends here," he said, drawing any attention that wasn't on him. "Only oblivion waits for you now." Wil took that moment to, true to character, blatantly show what he thought of that: instead of being intimidated, he shot down the last wyvern rider. The warrior before them didn't seem fazed in the slightest at the loss of the flying unit.

Eliwood nudged Ninian back to where Adelessa stood. Hector, Sain, and Lyn joined him, cautiously starting forward. The clattering of hooves on cobblestone interrupted any attack that either side might have thrown; Lowen and Marcus charged at the warrior. While Marcus was deflected and forced to turn aside, the younger cavalier landed a blow against the warrior that not only drew blood but also broke his bow. _Good hit!_ Adelessa cheered silently – he'd taken away the ranged attack that had made her side so hesitant. It was _exactly_ what they'd needed. And, apparently, it was exactly what their enemy _didn't _want: he snarled and drew his axe.

This was a battle her units knew very well how to fight. After dozens of skirmishes against bandits and brawling mercenaries, any of the four that challenged their opponent were fully confident in themselves. Even a Black Fang commander – his clothing gave him away – wasn't enough to slow them down, not when all four attacked in alternating pairs. Hector and Eliwood bashed into him first; Lyn and Sain followed it up with devastating attacks of their own. None of her ranged attackers had to assist, nor did Marcus and Lowen have to make another run at him. The Black Fang commander lay dead by the time Serra had finished healing Kent.

"You know," Matthew commented to Adelessa, "all these commanders talk big and then can't follow up on it. It's almost disappointing."

"Don't say that," she replied. "You're going to goad them into putting up an actual challenge." He grinned at her; she shook her head. "If we end up in a situation where we're in over our heads, I'm blaming _you_."

"Duly noted!" Matthew walked with her when Lyn waved her over to where the three lords were conversing.

She caught the tail end of a quiet but concerned question from Hector, to which Eliwood replied, "I'm sorry to have worried you."

"You don't have to push yourself like this," Lyn said in return.

Eliwood shook his head. "It's not that I'm pushing myself – we'll have time for mourning when all of this is finished. Until then, in my father's name… I'll do everything I can to stop Nergal and protect our lands." While his voice was quiet and held a note of melancholy sadness, it was also even and determined.

"Then what do you have in mind?" Adelessa asked him. Matthew took up his position not far from Hector; she knew he was listening to the exchange.

Eliwood paused for a minute. He glanced at Hector. "We need to speak with Marquess Ostia."

"My brother?" The dismay was plain in the blue-haired lord's voice.

"After all we've learned – surely you don't think we could keep from telling him?"

When Hector made a noncommittal grumble and pulled a face, Lyn asked, "Hector? Why the odd expression?"

Adelessa could hear the grin in Eliwood's voice without having to see it. "Hector doesn't want to meet Lord Uther. You haven't been contacting him as much as you should have, and now you know he's going to be upset."

"What, and I was supposed to be able to miraculously send him messages from Valor?" he snapped back defensively. "It's not like we were merchants on holiday!"

"He's going to be _so_ mad," Eliwood laughed. He yelped and dodged away when Hector made to grab for him. Hector was allowed to chase his childhood friend right up until he got an absolutely _scathing _look from Marcus, at which point he sulked back by Oswin and muttered to himself.

"Lord Eliwood, I should let you know," the old knight said. "At my discretion, I sent a messenger to Lady Eleanora about Lord Elbert." When Eliwood only nodded slightly, he continued with, "I… thought she should know as soon as possible. With how he passed away…." The return of the grief to Eliwood's face made Adelessa's heart ache. _Oh, Eliwood…_

"Lord Eliwood! Commander Marcus!" The sudden shout that broke through the quiet made Adelessa startle. She turned to see a woman in armor dismounting from her horse.

"Is that you, Isadora?" Marcus asked.

"It is – I've finally found you. I'm glad you're in good health."

The sudden worry on Eliwood's face didn't escape Adelessa. "Isadora," he asked, "what are you doing here? Don't- don't tell me something's happened to Mother."

"No, Lady Eleanora is well. Don't worry." Eliwood sagged with relief. "When word of Lord Elbert's death reached her yesterday, she didn't say a word. She listened intently to the messenger until he finished speaking. Then she issued me orders – she insisted I deliver this sword to you, Lord Eliwood, and remain at your side."

"But the castle defenses will be shorthanded," he protested.

"Try to understand your mother's worry," Isadora insisted. Adelessa eased back, away from the conversation, to stay out of notice. "Lord Elbert is not coming home. All your mother is able to do now is pray for your continued safety. 'Obey your father's dying wish' – that is her message to you, and I have delivered it."

Seeing that Eliwood was no less worried, Adelessa spoke up with a suggestion. "When we go to speak with Marquess Ostia," she ventured, "we should be able to petition for aid. They may be able to spare some reinforcements for Castle Pherae to ward it from attack without raising any suspicion."

"That is… that's a good idea, Aydie. That would work." He nodded slowly, considering that. "Yes. It would ease Mother's fears, and mine as well."

The woman knight smiled. "It's that thinking that makes you Lord Eliwood," she said.

"If you intend to join us," Adelessa said to her, "you'll have to be prepared for hard fighting. It's… it's not been an easy journey so far, and it seems like it's only going to get harder from here."

The woman drew herself up proudly. "I am more than prepared for hardships," she answered. "I will serve with my life."

Adelessa nodded. She could feel a headache starting to brew behind her eyes; that a newcomer would so easily agree to such a dangerous mission… it worried the tactician. _Yet another person whose life will depend on my decisions. _"I'm Aydie – I've been serving as Lord Eliwood's advisor and tactician. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'd love to talk with you later – right now, I should check on those we left at the inn." With that, Adelessa gracefully – or at least she hoped it was something approaching "gracefully" – left the conversation. She ended up walking near Hector.

"… Hector?"

"You need something?" he asked.

"Are you-" She stopped and took another try at what she wanted to say. "Do you think Eliwood will be alright, with all that's happened and all that we have to do?"

"Eliwood? Nah, he'll be fine. No, really," he insisted when Adelessa gave him a skeptical look. "I know he doesn't always seem it, but he's the strongest person I know. I mean… you're not having the best luck, either." When Adelessa stopped walking and stared at him, he slowed and explained, "Well, I bet you didn't think things would turn into such a confused mess, did you?"

"Well, not quite," she admitted and picked her feet back up. "I certainly didn't expect a simple task of finding a missing person would end in something like… like this. Or that I'd end up having to learn to fight, and getting in scrapes like this…." The thought of her wounds and the terrifying encounter with death and a dragon on the Dread Isle made her frown. That she was so close to several lords made her frown even deeper at her shoes.

"... you know, if it gets to be too much, you can leave at any time." Her head popped up at that. "You're a reliable and dependable tactician. The best I've ever known, really, and I grew up in the keep. And I'm not just saying that!" the lord added emphatically when she stared at him. "You're not a servant. If you think this whole thing is impossible, you can get out, and no one will hold it against you. Or at least they _shouldn't_, and they _won't_ if we have anything to say about it," Hector growled dangerously as he held the door open for her. "But… you're as smart as they come, and you've got a lot going for you. Even _I _can see that. You don't have to throw that away for us."

"I-"

"Hey, just think about it, okay? You don't have to decide anything right now. We've got plenty of time before we get to Ostia. Just get some sleep after you check up on everyone else. You need it, especially when we've got all… all _this _going on." He waved slightly. "Don't push yourself too hard. You deserve to rest, too."

"Hector, I-"

"Get outta here. Go on, shoo." He shushed her each time she tried to say something. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. Go check on Nils. Spoony bard's probably gotten himself into trouble. G'wan, get." He didn't take no for an answer; she finally caved and started down the hall. Turning into the main room, she tabled those thoughts until she could think them over later. She had other things to do.

"Nils, did anything bother you while we were away?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Sorry about the long absence! This most recent school term was both hard and busy, but I've finally made it through in one piece. I can't tell you how much I missed writing ABM, but there just wasn't _time_for anything but schoolwork. Hopefully I can hop back on my normal update schedule, but forgive me if my writing's a bit rusty! I haven't used it much recently.

Many thanks to all of you, lovely people that you are, for waiting so patiently, and those who have inquired as to my health! It was terribly heartwarming. :'3 Thanks go to **Ryan** for his wonderful proofreading and editing, and to my reviewers: **Drachegirl14, MilenniaMaster, patattack, Tom-Ato13, Sparks101, Solyeuse, angelbeets, AquaticSilver, Raven the Blood witch, **and **Cormagravenstaff!** I appreciate all your support! :'3

And next chapter we end up in Ostia! I'll hopefully see you next week!


	33. Kinship's Bond

Kinship's Bond

The rest of the night they spent in Badon passed without further uproar. Adelessa hired a messenger to ride to Ostia before she went to sleep, getting input from Hector as to what should be passed on in their letter and what would be better saved for when they met the marquess. Once she had seen off the messenger, she had accomplished enough that she could finally retire for the night. The rest of the inn had been quiet and still by the time she got back to her room and crawled into bed.

Rebecca got her up with the sun, which came entirely too early, and Adelessa managed to grab a light breakfast from the kitchen before she was caught up in Merlinus' frantic preparations. The morning passed in a hurried blur; the next thing she knew, the group was on the road again. Hector led the group, heading west toward Ostia.

They set a grueling pace, starting early in the morning and stopping only when the sun threatened to set. While there were some that weren't bothered – obviously, those who rode often weren't bothered, nor was Hector or the mercenary types – others had a harder time adjusting to the strenuous conditions. Lucius and Nils were especially affected. Both of them did little more than eat dinner before going to sleep when the group halted for the night.

Adelessa wished she had that luxury. After all that had happened on the Dread Isle and the promise of yet worse things to come, Matthew apparently decided that he was going to step up the intensity of their training sessions over the course of a week's worth of traveling. Not only did he insist on running drills and didn't let up until she had every motion perfect, but he also challenged her by giving her scenarios. By the time they reached Thria, he stepped her up to sparring with him with blunted blades. Their first sparring match was an entirely humbling experience.

It wasn't until they reached a town surrounding a fortress on the Thria-Ostia border that their breakneck pace slowed. A messenger hailed Hector as he passed through the square at the center of the town with the rest of the group, bearing a letter sealed with the official Ostian seal. Hector immediately popped it open and scanned it. He motioned for the group to take it easy with an absent wave and settled onto a bench to read it in depth.

Adelessa took the opportunity to stretch and sit down on a bench as well. She'd been in the saddle all morning and was glad for the opportunity to leave it for a bit. _At least I'm not sore after practices anymore,_ she thought gratefully. Her body had gotten so used to the rigors of the training sessions that she didn't ache unless she took a bad fall when avoiding a strike or overextended something. She still couldn't hold a candle to Matthew, but he was at least willing to teasingly tell her that she could hold her own against novices. _And that's better than what I could do in the beginning, so there!_

"News from my brother," Hector announced. "We won't be going all the way to Ostia – he's already on his way here. As in that fortress over there," he said, jerking a thumb at the building. We're to wait there for him to arrive."

"Lord Uther is coming here himself?" Eliwood asked; he beat Adelessa to the question by only half a second. _Odd that he would come this far out of his way – we were more than willing to travel to Ostia to meet with him._

"That's what I said, isn't it?" he replied. It wasn't a biting rebuttal, just a slightly barbed one. "At least, that's what it's sounding like. I told you before – the Keep, not to mention all of the capitol city, is _filled _with spies. And since Matthew's not around to keep them in check, they've got a better foothold than usual. He probably thinks it'll be easier to speak freely here. We'll have to head up to the fortress pretty soon, so someone will have herd these cats there."

"Wouldn't leaving Ostia draw more attention than the arrival of a few of our group?" she asked in return. "The marquess leaving without an explanation or prior warning – that's no small matter."

"He's traveling in secret, with only a few attendants. He's skilled at this sort of thing, really." When he saw that Adelessa still wasn't convinced, he reassured her with, "There's no need to worry – Uther knows what he's doing." Adelessa nodded slowly, though she wasn't entirely sold on the idea. _Nobles can say that they know what they're doing all day long, but that doesn't mean they're actually any good at it. But Matthew's not putting up a fuss, so…._

"How unconventional," Lyn observed. "It must run in the family."

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" Hector asked defensively.

"Nothing that wasn't there already," she replied. "I'm very much looking forward to meeting him." Hector's disgruntled "harrumph" prompted the Sacaean to start teasingly needling him with further questions. Adelessa tuned them out while she began to pull the group together. A few people grumbled at her when she made them get up and get moving again, but the promise that they could rest at the fortress once they got there eased the complaints.

The only person she couldn't wheedle into getting up and moving on his own was Nils. When she tried to get him to get up and go, he flatly refused. Ninian had almost as little success: the best she got was a cross scowl and a declaration that he wasn't going to walk any further. "You can ride on Rhea instead," Adelessa offered in a last-ditch effort to get him to come with them. _I can live with walking a bit if that's what we have to do_. After a moment of consideration, Nils let her help him up into the saddle. She offered Ninian the reins so she could lead the mare.

Knowing that trying to talk to either Ninian or Nils would only end in frustration or silence, Adelessa instead picked up her feet and walked to the front of the group. Hector nodded at her when she caught up and she fell into step next to him. Lyn was busy talking to Kent – likely about protocol, if Adelessa had to guess. Eliwood, on the other hand, was sandwiched between Marcus and Isadora; the lord and the knight were still working to explain the finer details of what happened to the group's newest addition.

It was only then that Adelessa realized that someone was missing. "Where'd Matthew go?"

"He's going forward to check out the fortress, make sure nothing's out of the ordinary there. He volunteered and went off as soon as he heard the news," Hector answered. "Didn't notice him leaving, huh?" The lord grinned at Adelessa's chagrin. "Don't worry. You were busy getting everyone up and at 'em."

"I suppose," she said. _Matthew's far too good at that,_ she thought wryly. _At least I know he can take care of himself when he goes running off on his own. _With that clarified, the tactician turned her attention back to the matter at hand. The idea of meeting face-to-face with Marquess Ostia was equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking. Her curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "What's your brother like?"

"Well, he's the Marquess-" When Adelessa shook her head, Hector gave her a confused look.

"I've heard what Marquess Ostia is like – what's your _brother _like?" she elaborated.

"Ah. What have you heard about him?"

"Marquess Ostia is tough, but fair to those who interact with him. He doesn't give on things he feels strongly about. He's very, very intelligent and has the power to back up the few times he can't settle things through diplomacy. I've heard that he went to the Etrurian Council several times and quietly impressed them each time. From everything I've heard, he's a good leader."

"Hah!" Hector laughed shortly. "Yes, he would do that. He's a lot more subtle than most people give him credit, too. At least, than the Lycians give him credit." Hector's face softened into fond affection. "He's a good man. Sure, he has to act distant because of his position, which makes it hard to go back to what we had when we were children, but he's not cold, not like people think he is. Just reserved. … he practically raised me after our parents passed away," he added after a moment's pause.

"I'm sorry."

"Eh, don't be. It was years ago, and things worked out well enough, didn't they? I'm here, I'm not a complete mess," and he grinned widely enough that he got her to return it, "and I can do what needs to be done. I figure he didn't screw that up too badly." Hector shrugged and looked at the fortress. "Sure, maybe he's a bit intimidating, but he's not going to try to drag you over the coals, Aydie. You've done a good job – and he's not as hidebound as people might say he is. He's not going to look down his nose at you because you're young or female."

"Well, that will be a pleasant change of pace," Adelessa replied sourly. She sighed. "I'm sorry. That wasn't fair – I didn't mean to snap at you."

"I don't know – sounds pretty fair to me. I've heard how awfully most lords have treated you, and it's… well, it's just been pretty awful." When Adelessa stared in shock at him, he shrugged and explained with a, "I've been talking to Lyn. What, you didn't think the Caelin inheritance thing was going to come up?"

"… of course." She only just resisted the urge to put her hand to her chest or grip her medallion. His offhand remark set her heart to pounding and her hands to shaking. _Adelessa, calm down – there's no way he meant anything more than what happened on the way to Caelin and other difficulties with schooling. You're just being paranoid. _She took a deep breath. "Well, I've seen worse. At least I can still get my job done even when people start acting like that."

"Yeah, that's true enough. At least this time around you won't have to worry about that, though. Like I said, Uther doesn't work that way. You could be Bernese nobility or a barbarian from the Western Isles and it wouldn't make a lick of difference to him. As long as you're good at what you do and have good intentions and aren't running around like a chicken with its head cut off, he's not going to get in a pet."

"No wonder he's always in a pet with you around, young master," Matthew teased. Hector jumped; Adelessa didn't, if only because she'd caught sight of him leaning against the door while Hector rambled. When the blue-haired lord scowled at his spy, Matthew only grinned wider. "Ah, it all makes sense now."

"Did you pick up your sense of humor from him, Matthew, or did you teach Uther how to act like you?" Hector asked Matthew. "I swear, he wasn't nearly as… as whatever you are when we were kids!"

"That's because he didn't have an errant younger brother causing political headaches for him back then," Matthew replied cheerfully. He continued more seriously with, "The fortress appears to be clear of any occupants. Most of the entry points are locked, with the portcullis open. Perhaps your brother arranged for someone to come by before we arrived to open it and sweep through. Regardless, we can wait here until Lord Uther arrives."

"Then we'll plan on doing that." Hector started waving the group into the fortress; Adelessa, being one of the first ones in, took a moment to study the building. Like most border fortresses, it was made of plain stone and sparsely furnished and decorated. It was built more for function than fashion, since the marquesses whose territories it straddled could easily ride to speak to one another in their respective capitols. Even so, since it was an Ostian fortress, it was a great deal nicer than several she'd visited. It was in good repair and had an elegant floor plan: waiting wings swept off to either side of the entrance to the main hall, with doors that led into it from the side past the walkway into the main hall. The main hall itself was expansive, with columns that tastefully added to the aesthetics of the room. As the group filtered in, they ambled through the hall to an alcove at the far end of the hall.

Adelessa couldn't help but worry when she saw Nils shuffle past her. Ninian was even more concerned, if the way she hovered within a couple of steps of her brother was any indication. The tactician offered him a hand when he got close enough to her. When the bard shook his head in response, she insisted, "Nils, your color is so off – please, just let me help you."

"I'm fine," he replied. Unlike his rancor when they were in the town, he sounded exhausted. "Just a little tired. If we can just sit still for a while, I'll be bet… ter…" Adelessa lurched forward to catch him when his knees buckled. She carefully sank to her knees and lowered him gently to the floor, ignoring Ninian's shrill exclamations of surprise. Those who noticed the sudden collapse crowded around them in a tight circle, but they were careful not to jostle her. When she rested the hand against his forehead, she frowned: it didn't feel like he had a fever.

"Serra? Priscilla?" she called; the ring of onlookers parted so that the two healers could join her at Nils' side. "Can you find out what caused him to collapse and cure it?"

"We can try," Priscilla answered, her expression concerned and distant both as she studied Nils. "If I could get some room…?" That mild request had those surrounding them easing back faster than if Adelessa had given an order: when a healer asked for something, one _listened_. Adelessa knew she wasn't the only one who had learned that. The two women put their heads together and started quietly conversing. Ninian clung to Adelessa in a tight, worried hug.

After a couple of minutes, the two healers motioned Adelessa and the lords to come over to them. The expression shared between the two women was not a reassuring one. "What have you determined?" Adelessa asked anyways. _Better to know bad news than be ignorant of a problem. Oh, I hope Nils will be fine._

She had known it was too much to hope for. "He's collapsed of exhaustion – he doesn't have a fever, but…" Priscilla shook her head. "He's definitely unwell, and neither of us knows enough to be able to properly treat him, not with our training and the supplies we have on hand." Serra confirmed that with a unhappy nod when Adelessa looked to her next. "We should take him to the town; there should be a healer available there that can help."

"But he shouldn't be moved." Ninian's dismayed protest made all of them look at her. She colored when she saw the way that they boggled at her. "He's just- he's tired, that's all, a night's rest would fix everything." The lords and the healers glanced between each other in a silent conversation. Ninian had her danger sense and surely it would let them know if there was going to be a problem with leaving Nils here, but Ninian was a young girl and it was hard to trust her judgment in a situation like this. The dancer turned her eyes to the tactician. "Aydie, _please_."

"If it's just for one night," Adelessa started, "then… yes, we can leave him be. I _do_ want him to be moved to a more comfortable couch, though. Eliwood, would you mind helping with that?" The redheaded lord hurried to do so, carefully carrying the boy to a nearby couch. "If he doesn't feel better in the morning," she continued, speaking directly to Ninian, "we _are _going to have to find help from a healer."

"I'm sorry, Aydie – I understand."

The big, sad eyes that the dancer gave her were enough to make Adelessa gently hug the girl. "It's alright, Ninian. I'm not upset about keeping him here. I just want to make the best decisions for him – if you're sure that he'll be best here, then that's what we'll do."

"Aydie!" Kent motioned for her to join him at the door. When she arrived, her mood lifted considerably: in addition to her company, exhausted as they were with traveling, a squad of Ostian knights had arrived. "They've been sent by Lord Uther," Kent explained as she went to shake their hands and welcome them. After hearing that they'd been waiting in the village and resting for a couple of days, Adelessa set them to take a rotation of watches so that everyone else could get some sorely-needed rest.

"Lord Uther should arrive later today – at latest, early this evening," the leader of the squad informed her. "We've been watching the countryside to ensure that there wouldn't be any trouble when he arrives. I know that there was another squad that should arrive tonight, as well."

"Thank you – I greatly appreciate it," Adelessa told him. "Please, let me know the _moment _you see anything even slightly odd." She watched as the Ostian knights went to established stations in the fortress and sank onto bench to take a moment to rest. Rebecca joined her after a few minutes and offered her a hot sandwich. Murmuring her thanks, the tactician happily ate lunch.

The hours of the afternoon stretched by far longer than Adelessa would have thought they would. She found herself almost bored after the meal without the pressing pace or the constant watchfulness that she'd forced on herself during their time on the Dread Isle. _It's funny that calm moments leave me at wit's end now,_ she thought wryly as she took a walk around the fortress. A good third of her company had immediately retired to rooms in the castle to rest or tend to their equipment. The few exceptions wandered not unlike her; she had brief chats with Wil and Dorcas. She bailed on her plan to talk to Erk when she saw him being harried by Serra; even more deliberately, she avoided Canas. The shaman _still _made her nervous, even after how he'd helped the group on the Dread Isle.

It wasn't until after dinner, when she was checking on Nils – his condition hadn't changed, not even how flushed his face was – when commotion from the main hall forced her to her feet. She took a moment to straighten her over-tunic and double-check her outfit underneath so she was presentable before venturing out. She had expected to see Lord Uther and his vassals; instead, she was greeted with a frantic soldier gasping rapidly to Marcus. She recognized the distressed man as one of the ones she'd greeted earlier in the squad.

Her stomach dropped to her feet as she ran over. "-under attack!" was the first thing she heard from him. She motioned for Marcus to start alerting the others, adding that she wanted everyone in the main hall as soon as humanly possible. When she demanded to know where the altercation was, the sentry answered, "The south gate – they were forcing their way inside when I left. The other knights were holding them off, except the leader went to fire the mage-flare so Lord Uther knows to keep his distance."

The other lords arrived at a run; Adelessa could hear Hector clattering all the way down the hall. "Good – then that's one less thing we have to worry about," she said. _Now, then, what _do _I have to hold? _The first answer was immediate: she couldn't let the enemies get into the back room, where Nils was resting. More than that, though, was the fact that allowing them to overtake the main hall would give them a strategic advantage and force Adelessa to fight while running or retreating. "How large is the group facing us?"

"A couple dozen men," he answered immediately. "Er, we've been cut off from the stable, though. I didn't stick around long enough to see what was happening there."

Adelessa hissed quietly in dismay. _Of course we have. Oh, well – it's not like we would have been able to maneuver well with horses in a place like this. Definitely not pegasi, that's for sure. _"That's alright – we'll just have to work around it. I want you to gather your squad, those that aren't fighting right now. I want to be able to position them properly in here."

When the soldier looked skeptically to Hector, the Ostian lord growled, "She's the one in charge of tactics here – don't look at _me_for this sort of thing!" Hector's scolding made that sting a little less, but it still cut her to the quick. She shoved the unhappiness of hurt pride aside and nodded in thanks to the blue-haired man after the soldier rushed off to follow her order. Oswin clapped her on the shoulder and asked, "Where do you want us?"

_I am so glad,_ she thought, _that I have such wonderful people under my command. _Not only had her company rushed to arrive, but they were also armed and ready to go. "The most important part of this fight is protecting this hall," she declared. "The flare that the Ostian knights set off should double as a distress marker: a prolonged siege shouldn't be a problem. For now, we just need to protect Nils and hold this position.

"I want you to break up into groups to block the entrances. Those with the best defense are to go to the main walkway – that's where we'll get most of the fighting. But I want a few people to go to each side door: there's no way the enemy won't try to get through those. Those of you who are normally cavalry units, I want you to hang back here, at the entrance to the back room. You're better off protecting Nils without your mounts instead of trying to join the rest of the fight."

With how much they'd fought together and the ease of familiarity, her company broke up into the groups she'd ordered. Guy, Rebecca, and Dorcas went to the west side door; Bartre, Raven, and Lucius went to the east one. The rest of her units built themselves into a formidable line in the walkway. She had to reposition a few people to better force a bottleneck, but beyond that there was nothing to do but wait for the Ostian knights to return.

She had almost contemplated the benefits of nervous pacing when she heard the sounds of combat drawing toward them. "Be prepared to provide covering fire," she ordered her ranged units. That they did – Wil, Erk, and Canas were more than happy to provide support when the knights and their opponents came into sight. Even Oswin and Hector joined in, using javelins and throwing axes until the enemy was almost on top of them. The Ostian knights retreated through holes that Adelessa had ordered made in the line; the holes closed up behind them once the beleaguered knights were through. The mercenaries – Adelessa could tell that from their varied gear and the lack of a symbol on it – were met with solid opposition when they tried to pursue them.

Serra and Priscilla were quick to meet the knights and offer healing for those who were injured. Adelessa glanced over at them for just a moment to make sure that they didn't need any additional assistance; satisfied that they would be fine as they were, the tactician returned her attention to the fight.

Never had she seen Hector, Matthew, and Oswin fight so fiercely: both landed absolutely _catastrophic _hits on their foes. One particularly impressive one from Hector sent a fighter tumbling head over heels. On the back swing, Hector buried the blade of his axe deep into the torso of a swordsman who was trying to get a hit in on Oswin. The knight murmured a short word of thanks before continuing to strike with bloody precision against other opponents. Matthew weaved around any attacks aimed at him and neatly exploited weaknesses in his foes' armor. While significantly weaker than Oswin and Hector, or even Lyn and Eliwood who fought as well, he still managed to cause several casualties.

"Aydie, everyone's been healed. Do you have orders for them?" Serra's question dragged Adelessa over to where the knights were assembled.

"I do," she answered crisply. "I have units stationed at the side doors that lead into this hall; I'd like for you to split into two groups and relieve them." The Ostians did so quickly enough. _Hopefully they'll be fine with their autonomy this way, and I can have my units back to shore up the front line of defense._ She dearly hoped that letting the Ostian commander keep his position would prevent him from arguing with any orders she might give on this front. _The _last _thing I want to deal with right now is politics and having to fight against him about what we're doing._

"I see enemy mages – Wil, Canas, Erk, try to take them out before they can target anyone," she commanded when she saw that more than just melee fighters were making their way toward her troops. "Help should be arriving shortly-"

"Lord Hector!" Both Adelessa and Hector turned to look behind them. At the far end of the hall, a man stood in a doorway that had been locked. When Wil put an arrow to his string, the man blurted out, "We're here to be reinforcements! Lord Uther sent us ahead – we're just a small group, but we've got some mercenaries with us!"

Adelessa ran through her options and quickly made a couple of executive decisions. "Lyn, please come with me – I want to talk to these people." Lyn wasn't a keystone in the defense and Adelessa didn't want to go talk to their 'reinforcements' without being assured that she had some means of defense. The timing was too convenient. The Sacaean joined her after a moment and the two traveled to where the mercenaries were waiting. Adelessa had to work hard at not fussing with her knife. She was _not _comfortable with this turn of events.

The man continued speaking when she got closer to them. "As I said, we were sent by Lord Uther – just in case something happened. He's always watching for that sort of thing. We hired this band of mercenaries." He nodded at a man in Sacaean clothing who had just entered the room. "Rath's been leading them so far-"

"Rath?" Lyn beamed and walked forward to greet their friend. Adelessa's trepidation evaporated as soon as she recognized him. _He wouldn't be working for anything that's questionable,_ she thought. _If he's here, then they really _do _intend to assist us._

"So you're being hunted again, Lyn of the Lorca?" the nomad was asking. The two had clasped hands in greeting and traded a few words before that to which Adelessa hadn't paid attention.

"Rath of the Kutolah – well met. It's good to see you again." Adelessa was given a stoic nod in return. "You're serving as a mercenary in this company?" He nodded again. "You're a welcome face."

"Do you need my help?" he asked. When Adelessa tilted her head in a quiet request for him to elaborate – he was already here to help, after all – he added, "Beyond this fight."

"Yes, please!" Lyn answered. "We could use your strength – we're involved in something…" and she paused. Adelessa knew she was trying to think of what she could say that wouldn't overly alarm him and simultaneously give a summary of their situation. "Well, something terribly dangerous." Adelessa joined Lyn in looking at Rath. She wasn't surprised by his reply.

"I see. When this battle is finished, I will end my service to this group." He focused on Adelessa. "Where do you need the men I command?"

She took a moment to survey the hall. She saw the six people she sent off to the side doors joining the rest of the front line. There were enough people there to ward off any fight, and she was still concerned that enemies might break through the side doors. She'd hate to have an attack sprung on her from behind if either of the side doors were overrun. "I'd like you to split them between the two side doors there and there," she said, pointing those alcoves out. "They'll have to work with Ostian knights, but that should be easy enough to do in this situation. We need to hold this hall – Ninian and Nils are in the back room right now." Rath gave a sharp nod and moved to distribute orders.

With that, Adelessa moved to return to her position near the front line. Before she had made it past the middle of the hall, however, she stopped and _listened_. There was a strange noise, one that was out of place in this battlefield. It sounded almost like- like _wingbeats_-

She was not the only person who flinched and covered her ears when a reptilian shriek ricocheted off of the stone walls. The jarring sound made her ears ring even after it ceased. When she looked up, she was appalled to see her fears were exactly right. _How did they manage to get a wyvern in here?_ Even as she thought that, she noted that the main entryway was _just_ large enough and that the wyvern rider was streaking _right _at her.

Wait. _Wait_. She _scrambled _as soon as she realized that, even though she already knew there wasn't cover close enough that she could reach it before she was overtaken by the flying beast. She heard Wil swear and could only imagine that he'd missed. And then the green wyvern took up the entirety of her field of vision. The rider, dressed in dark blue armor, had his spear perilously close to her face. Adelessa froze. If this was an attack, there was no way to keep herself from getting seriously injured or killed, and help was too far away to hope for.

"Are you the commander of this group?" the rider asked. Adelessa could hear the sound of combat behind her and Rath easing forward on his horse. _So much for thinking there would be no horses in the hall, _part of her mind thought. She ignored it. When she nodded stiffly, the man pulled off his helmet and threw it at her feet. "I'm Heath, a wyvern rider serving in Eubans' mercenaries. I want to surrender."

Adelessa only began to relax when he lowered his spear as well. "You're surrendering?" she asked – if for no other reason than to buy Rath some more time to get to a good position. "Why?" Now that she wasn't scared stiff by him threatening her, she took a moment to get a good look at him. He had bright green hair – _Is he of Sacaean blood? _– with a streak of gray over his left eye. She knew the signs of stress, especially on a person who couldn't be much older than she was.

"I don't want to hurt women and children." He held her gaze and shrugged a little bit, as if to say 'that's really all there is on the matter.' "I may be a soldier, but I'm trying to be human, too." Adelessa held up a hand to ward off the attack that she saw Rath preparing. He seemed genuine and if Heath had intended to kill her, she would have been dead already.

"I understand," she told him, "but this is the middle of a battle and I can't let you go in the room we're defending." He might be genuine, but there was no reason to be completely naïve and risk Ninian and Nils.

"I understand, and it's fine," he said, shaking his head. "I'd rather fight alongside you."

Adelessa studied him further, her mind whizzing frantically through several trains of thought. If he _was_ sincere, which she hoped he was, then she'd have access to a flying unit who was a lot tougher than pegasus knights. But if he wasn't, then she'd be giving him a chance to strike at her people. Still, she'd already seen the wary looks that just Rath and Lyn had given the wyvern knight. The likelihood of everyone dropping their suspicions and immediately trusting him was slim to none. There would be several people more than happy to keep an eye on him throughout the fight, and she knew a few of _those _people would be willing to do what was necessary to protect the group.

"Then I'd like for you to join us," she said finally. "We could use the help." She reached down and picked up his helmet, then offered it to him. He smiled a bit and pulled it back on. "If you'd join the front line…?"

"Certainly, but you've defeated almost all of them – all of Eubans' men, I mean." He tightened a strap under his chin and looked down at her. "You can probably push to defeat him, especially now that you've got more fighters than you did last time."

"Wait, you were there the last time he attacked our group?"

"Hyperion couldn't fit inside there, so I was outside. He's scared of you, you know. He sent me in here to kill you, since you're the brains of the group. He didn't listen when I told him I wouldn't hurt a woman, so here we are." Heath shrugged. "But he's running low on men, and yours are trained just as well – maybe better now. He'll just keep coming after you if you leave him alive." When she nodded in answer and dismissal, he steered his wyvern to join those at the front line without taking to the air.

Taking stock of the current situation, she was pleasantly surprised to see that Heath's comments about the state of Eubans' troops seemed to be spot-on. Those places where they weren't at a standstill had the enemy being pushed back. With Heath at the front line, the tide there turned; some men turned and ran after the wyvern crunched into a man with a maw of sharp fangs. There was a long minute where she hesitated before deciding on their next course of action. "Press forward," she ordered. "I want to eliminate Eubans as a threat." There was a part of her that was uneasy with this course of action: she didn't like attacking and killing a person that might not have to be killed. Still, in a conflict like this, she wasn't sure she could afford to leave an enemy at their backs, and especially not when Lord Uther was going to arrive soon.

The front line formed in a 'v' shape, with Oswin, Hector, and Eliwood making up the peak. Other melee units flared out behind them, with the mages and archers protected behind them. As soon as they left the main hall, Adelessa spotted the mercenary leader – it was hard not to, with him bellowing orders the way he was. _Always target the enemy commander when able_, she thought. There was no need to give the order to focus on him – what had to be done was plainly obvious to those fighting.

A dawning look of horror came to life on Eubans' face when he saw the group approaching him. He had a few men close to him to protect him, but he was easily outnumbered two-to-one. For a second it looked like he might surrender, and then the man snarled a few slurs that would make even Fargus' crew blush. If he had hoped to shake the group up and make it harder for them to fight with the insults, he failed miserably: Hector only smiled with all his teeth and strode forward to pummel him. The fight had already been a foregone conclusion; this had only made the ensuing scuffle that much more of a curb-stomp battle. Heath did a remarkable job in fighting his former employer and, even though she kept waiting for it, he never turned around and threatened her people.

Once everyone had a chance to catch their breath, Adelessa motioned for Rebecca to come over to her. "If you could tell the commander of the Ostian knights that he should fire off a flare to indicate that the fighting is over and that it's safe, I would appreciate it. Everyone else, go see Serra and Priscilla if you're injured. If not, I'd like for you to help me with cleaning up the fortress." There were a couple groans. "If you really don't want to do that, I'll need someone to check on the stables with the mounted units. Grab them before you go." Those who had been fighting split up to follow her orders or pass them along to those not present. Adelessa, for her part, set to work with Lucius in addressing the aftermath of the fight.

It wasn't much more than an hour later when a trumpet call sounded. Adelessa looked down at herself and cringed in disgust: she was covered in dust, grime, and worse. "I'll be back in a moment," she promised Hector when she passed him in the hall. Luckily her clothes were at the top of her pack. She changed into them in record time and ran back to the main hall, glad that she'd had it a priority for after-battle cleaning.

She stopped in the entryway when she saw Hector, Eliwood, Lyn, Oswin, Matthew, Kent, Marcus, and, to her surprise, Ninian all gathered at tables pushed together. Near the three lords sat another person; Adelessa immediately saw the family resemblance between Marquess Ostia and his little brother. While Lord Uther showed the wear of several hard years and the stress of his position, he had the same build and features as Hector. "So, brother – you're alive after all. You were out of touch for so long that I had started to worry you died on me. Any longer and I would have arranged for a funeral rite."

"My apologies," Hector mumbled. He spotted Adelessa in the doorway and waved her over. "Aydie's been keeping me busy." Uther stood when she approached. She dipped into a curtsey. "Brother, this is Adelessa, our tactician and advisor. Aydie, Marquess Ostia." The marquess offered her a hand; she clasped it.

"It's a pleasure, my lord," she said.

"The pleasure is mine," he replied. She caught a hint of a grin when he added, "Thank you for keeping my little brother in one piece." Adelessa ducked her head in a nod; if he had been Hector, perhaps she would have teased with 'Despite his best efforts,' but she didn't know this man well enough to dare to risk it.

"It's just part of what I do, sir," she replied instead. "It's my honor to serve." He let go of her forearm and Hector motioned for her to sit between him and Lyn. Eliwood sat on Hector's other side.

"It's good to meet the tactician about whom I've heard so much," Lord Uther remarked casually as he settled back into his seat. _That _little comment was enough to leave Adelessa quietly paranoid – what all had he heard about her? – while the marquess turned to address Eliwood. "I am deeply sorry about Lord Elbert," he said, his voice solemn. "I was powerless to help."

"No," Eliwood said. He shook his head; from her angle, Adelessa could see one hand tighten around the other in his lap. "There was nothing that could have been done." The lord from Pherae stared Lord Uther in the eye. "More importantly, do you know of Nergal?"

"Only what has been reported to me." Marquess Ostia continued without having to be prompted. "He appeared one year ago and seized control of the Black Fang. Shortly after, he ensnared Laus in a plot of rebellion against Ostia." He frowned deeply. "I haven't been able to find out what he's after." Adelessa exchanged looks with the three lords. The significant glances didn't escape the man sitting across from them. "Do you know something?"

Adelessa found herself stared at by all three lords. After clearing her throat, she quietly declared, "He intends to summon dragons."

There was a moment of silence. "Surely you jest."

"I only wish I was, sir." Adelessa took a few seconds to organize her thoughts before detailing their journey and the disturbing events that had taken place within it: the Lausian rebellion, the Black Fang attacks, Ninian and Nils' presence and significance, their findings on Valor, and the nature of the Dragon's Gate and the summoning they witnessed there. The marquess listened intently and asked questions even more so; Adelessa had to keep herself from shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny. Lord Uther dismissed himself, saying that he needed time to consider this news.

There were a few seconds of silence between his departure and Hector speaking. "This is making even my _brother _brood. He's always been one for quick decisions and decisive action. Asking more time like that – that's never happened before."

"To think that this started as a rebellion in Laus," Adelessa murmured to herself, just loudly enough that the other lords could hear her. "Something so mundane became something so… well, it's almost something that you hear in myths, not something that could ever actually happen." She stared thoughtfully at her hands, clasped loosely over each other on the table. "I still have a hard time believing that this is actually happening to me, even though I've been the one living it."

"Mm." Hector rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He wore the same contemplative frown as his brother, Adelessa noted when she looked at him. "What's next? If my brother could convince the other lords that this is actually happening, all the lands could come together to fight this threat, like what happened during the Scouring."

"_If_ your brother can convince them," Adelessa pointed out. She was answered with nods from each of the lords. They'd come to the same realization. "Quite frankly, _I_ wouldn't believe a story like this if I heard it. I don't think _anyone_ would unless they saw dragons in the sky. It's just too fantastic to be real."

"And once the dragons are actually here, it'll be far too late," Lyn added.

"We _must _stop this now – all of it," Eliwood said firmly. "We're the only ones with the knowledge and the ability to do it, too." Quiet agreement passed between them. "Hector, will you tell your brother?"

"Certainly," he answered with a jerky nod. "Aydie, Ninian – will you want to help us stop this?"

While Ninian only nodded hesitantly – Adelessa could see her conflict, but she knew better than to say anything about it for fear of making the girl clam up entirely – Adelessa smiled and said, "I've gotten us this far. To abandon you now would be unthinkable. Unless you're _trying_ to get rid of me…." Frantic reassurances followed that; Lord Uther clearing his throat was the only thing that kept Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn from falling all over themselves while they hurried to say that wasn't true.

"I couldn't help but overhear," he said, his tone exceptionally dry. The wry grin on his face became a solemn line as he looked between them. "This is… an exceptionally large burden to bear on so few shoulders. And yet I can see no other option available," he admitted. "Hector, Eliwood, Lyndis – you're prepared to act on your resolve?" The lords nodded. "And you, Aydie – my brother and his friends are in your debt already. Do you truly intend to continue with them?" When Adelessa tilted her head up proudly and met his gaze, Marquess Ostia raised his eyebrows. He tilted his head down in the slightest of nods. "Then you'll help them through the coming trials – I have nothing more to say on that matter, in that case. And what of Ninian?"

"My lord." The slight dancer curtsied to him. "It's- it's an honor to meet you, Marquess Ostia."

"Ninian and her brother, Nils, possess the ability to sense danger," Hector explained.

"Is that so?" Uther tilted his head toward Ninian. "I'd ask of you – can you tell where Nergal is at this moment?"

Ninian squeezed her eyes shut and focused. For several moments, Adelessa wondered if she'd be able to do it – it was asking an awful lot of the girl, especially after all that she'd been through and with such a nebulous threat instead of the more immediate ones the tactician had seen her pinpoint. "I can," she said, surprising them. "To the east. He is… very far."

"Bern is to the east," Adelessa said, alarmed enough that it leaked into her voice. "If he's targeting Bern – it's a powerful country, and it has a large military. If he gets Bern on his side, there's no way we can hope to fight him."

"There's still time," Ninian added. "He is still very, very weak. We have to act now."

"So we'll have just enough time to get to Bern and seek him out," Hector declared.

"Actually," his brother interjected, "if you have time… make your destination Missur."

"Missur? But that's to the _west_." Adelessa couldn't stop herself from asking. She flushed when Lord Uther raised an eyebrow at her.

"Go to the Nabata desert – you may be surprised at what you find there. Meet the living legend; you'll see what I mean. Now then, brother, if I may have a word with you privately…." That was more than enough of a cue for everyone else to disperse; Adelessa asked each person present to pass on the news that they would stay the night here and then begin their westward travels in the morning. She checked in on Nils; while he was still sleeping, his color appeared to be much better.

She got as far as halfway to her room before she ran into Matthew, who grinned widely at her. "Forget about practice?" he asked altogether too cheerfully; she groaned when she realized she had. _The more things change,_ she thought as she started to trudge after him for her evening dose of humility, _the more they stay the same. At least we have a definite direction and purpose now – we'll just have to see where fate takes us._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Sorry about missing last week's update! Life happened and I wasn't nearly done with this chapter. Many apologies, and hopefully that fluke won't happen again!

A heartfelt thank-you to my beta, **Ryan**, for his wonderful work on making sure I make sense in my writing! And an equally warm thanks to all who reviewed my last chapter: **angelbeets, Cormagravenstaff, Raven the Blood witch, crazyemeralddragons, Solyeuse, patattack, SylviustheStrange, MilleniaMaster, Tom-Ato13, Drachegirl14, DPT24,** and **Sparks101**. You guys keep being a wonderful inspiration! :'3

I'll see you on my next update!


	34. Living Legend

Living Legend

Adelessa had heard plenty of stories about the Nabata desert while she'd been traveling as a journeyman. She knew that it took up a fair chunk of Elibe and that there was little to be found there except for sand and a few meager ruins that had been picked over by treasure hunters centuries ago. It was mentioned several times in her tome about the Scouring, usually in reference to dragons using it as a safe retreat: no humans could manage in it for long in the best of conditions, much less when under attack.

Still, she had sorely underestimated just how _contrary_ the desert could be.

_Scorching hot sun during the day, frigid night when it goes down,_ she thought in a mantra she'd repeated to herself several times already, _dry as parched bones, hard to slog through, full of headache-inducing mirages, and gusting wind that loves to throw around sand! Oh, how I loathe sand. It gets in my hair, it gets in my boots, it gets in my eyes and ears and nose and _everywhere. If it had only been one or two of those grievances, Adelessa could have dealt with her irritation. As it was, the heat and sand gusting into her face were enough to make her want to shriek in frustration.

Ninian and Nils struggled alongside her. Ninian looked slightly wilted, like a plant left in the sun too long: Adelessa could only imagine how warm it was wrapped up in the layers of fabric that made up her dancer's dress. Even in just a yellow blouse and light slacks Adelessa was far too warm. Nils, on the other hand, looked as if he was about to give up and lie down in the sand if he stopped walking. "It's so hot," he whined. Adelessa mechanically handed over her flask of water. "I'm… going to die." His declaration was _just _melodramatic enough that she knew he was joking.

The group slowed to a halt when he sat down and drank the water. Adelessa raised an arm to protect her eyes when Heath's wyvern passed over them and then landed nearby. Shade – blessed, wonderful shade – fell over her; the wyvern's wings blocked out the sun when it flared them out. Several people joined them to cluster in the shade, including the lords. Hector was red-faced and took several gulps of water when Adelessa passed him another flask of water. _He must be _roasting _in that armor_, she thought. When she had brought it up to him earlier, he'd refused to take it off, saying that if there were bandits roving around, he might as well be ready for them.

"Hey," he said, nudging Nils with his knee, "d'you want me to carry you on my back?" The boy stared up at the lord as if he'd sprouted a third arm. Hector bristled a little and defensively asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You're being so kind. It's weird." Adelessa stifled a giggle by biting the inside of her cheek. _From the mouths of children…. _"Is this some kind of fever dream?"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Hector asked. His tone was so wounded that Adelessa had to turn away and cover her mouth so she wouldn't laugh out loud. Matthew grinned at her when he saw how her shoulders were shaking with silent laughter. "And here I was worried you'd collapse like the other day – I guess you're just fine!" The grumpy harrumph at the end of that did her in; a laugh bubbled out of her. The dirty look she got from Hector only made it worse and she clapped _both _hands over her mouth.

"You're usually pretty brusque," Lyn said. Her face was impassive, but Adelessa could her straining not to laugh. "It's no small wonder he's confused, Hector. Don't be shy, Nils – let him help you." Lyn's calm explanation gave Adelessa the time she needed to compose herself. While the corners of her mouth still twitched, trying to make her smile, she wasn't about to burst into laughter.

"Oh, come on already!" Hector reached down and picked Nils up. Despite Nils' startled shout, Hector plopped the boy on his shoulders and clasped his lower legs so he'd stay put.

"Ah! I'm going to fall!" Adelessa collapsed in another fit of the giggles, joined this time by virtually everyone else when Nils yelped and clutched Hector's head to keep his balance. Hector's startled shout when his eyes were covered and annoyed grumbling when Nils didn't let go right away had Adelessa clutching her stomach with laughter. Matthew was chuckling merrily away – _No doubt committing the entire debacle to memory so he can tease Hector later!_

Adelessa looked over at the spy when she started to recover from this bout of laughter. That was a mistake; just looking at each other sent them both into another fit. Hector's grumbled comment of, "Sure, keep laughing, we'll see how _you _like it later," only made it worse; they had to lean against each other to keep from doubling over from laughing too hard.

It wasn't until Adelessa's sides started to hurt from laughing so much that they finally managed to calm themselves down. By then, Hector had lumbered off with Nils on his shoulders, trudging after Eliwood. Lyn walked along with Hector with Rath on her other side; she carried on a conversation with both of them. Eliwood had Ninian on his arm, helping support her when she stumbled in the sand. Heath, Florina, and Fiora flew overhead in lazy circles to keep pace with the group. Everyone else on the ground mixed in clumps, socializing with each other in small talk to try to take their minds off the monotonous misery of traveling through the desert.

"Ah, the glamorous life of heroes," Matthew commented sardonically when he and Adelessa started forward. "They'll leave this out when they sing the songs of our grand and wonderful journey and victories." Adelessa grinned over at him when he continued with a showy, "Why, it wouldn't do to mention how our beloved heroes stumbled through a desert and let the sun bake their heads until they couldn't do anything but shamble forward and laugh at the leaders of their glorious crusade!"

"Speak for yourself," she teased. "It sounds like _you're _the one with the sun-struck brain here!" He gave her his very best mock-wounded look. She countered with her best innocent one. They managed to hold them for a few seconds before they both cracked up again. "You are going to be the death of me," Adelessa accused him.

"Oops," he said. His grin wasn't apologetic in the slightest. Adelessa shook her head at him and rolled her eyes. She reached for her flasks of water- only to realize that she'd given them both away. At her obvious look of consternation, Matthew reached for his. "Here," he said, handing it over. "It's not worth trying to catch up to my lord. You'll just wear yourself out more."

"It's that obvious?" she asked, taking the flask. "Thank you." She took a couple of quick sips, pacing herself. _Guzzling the water won't help that much – you have to pace yourself. _She couldn't remember where she'd picked up that tidbit of information; probably from Pent or Louise before she left on her journeyman's travels.

"Not that obvious," he answered, "but you look almost as wilty as Ninian up there. Then again, I don't think there's anyone in this group right now that isn't bothered by the heat." She saw him glance at her out of the corner of his eye. "You grew up somewhere cool, didn't you?"

Adelessa tensed for a second before forcing herself to relax. "Etruria's pretty cool most of the year, yes," she answered. "And the university was always a comfortable temperature." Matthew looked like he was going to press for a more accurate answer for a moment – she knew that he knew she wasn't telling the whole truth – but he subsided with a shrug. She'd learned that meant that he would accept that answer for now, but it would stay on his mind when the subject came up again until she finally spilled the beans.

She'd gotten that shrug a _lot _recently.

Finished with her sips of water, Adelessa handed him back his flask. "You sure you've had enough?" he asked. "I don't need that much. The last thing we need is you fading away on us here."

"I'm sure – you don't have to worry, Matthew. I know my limits. Well," she amended, "as long as I'm not suffering from blood-loss-induced-silliness." That made him laugh despite himself. "Really, though. You don't need to worry about that. I'll let you know if I'm thirsty." She looked ahead and chuckled when she saw Ninian on Eliwood's arm again. "You're not going to insist that I need to cling to you, are you?"

"Nah – you're too contrary to ever think about doing that. I know better. What, do you think I wouldn't be smart enough to notice that?" His good-natured teasing continued while they trudged forward, turning to mild conversation on how he decided on becoming a spy for House Ostia. "I was always quick-witted and nimble. I didn't grow up on the streets – my parents always had a safe place for me to come home in the evenings – but money was tight. I had to do _something_ to help bring in money. My posing as a thief back during the Caelin thing wasn't just an act – before I started running with Leila, I did a lot of work that way. Mostly stealing food and clothes, though." There was a hint of distress on his face when he spoke of her, but it passed quickly. "Then we started running together, and then we _both_ got involved with a guy who dealt with the marquess' information networks…. It kind of just went naturally from there. Honest – well, _more_ honest – work and better pay? You'd have to be dull in the head not to jump for that. What about you? Why'd you choose to be a tactician?"

Adelessa considered her answer for a moment. "My foster father was willing to put me through school – he wanted me to pick up a skill I could use, and we both knew I was smart enough to succeed at the university." She caught herself rubbing the gold chain on her neck and stopped. "I wanted something that I would enjoy doing, something that would challenge me so I wouldn't just coast through life. And I wanted to prove to myself – and everyone else, yes – that I could do something that others bet I couldn't." She smiled to herself. "I enjoy the work, but I could do with less stress. I think I'll take a nice, long break from saving the world after this."

Matthew laughed. "You and me both!" he agreed. "Go ahead and visit Ostia, stay for a while – wait, no, I don't know if you want to deal with keeping my lord in line, that's quite the task, after all!" He'd raised his voice just enough so that Hector could hear them from up ahead.

"I can _hear _you, Matthew!"

The spy snickered and Adelessa couldn't help but laugh along with him. She had finally relaxed enough around Hector that she wasn't worried too much about teasing him. _He's not that different from the rest of us,_ she thought, _probably because of people like Matthew being around him. _She looked over at him, only to see him squinting into the distance. "Say, Aydie," he said far too casually, "do you see the people over there?" She peered forward in the direction he nodded, pulling out her spyglass when she couldn't see what was going on clearly.

There was a veil of sand whipped up by gusting winds between where their company was and the figures in the distance. A few seconds passed in which Adelessa tried to get a read on the situation; as soon as she did, she called for the lords to fall back and join her. The group gathered to hear what she had to say. "There's a man fighting bandits to the west – I think he'll need help. I saw him use some magic, but there's only so much magic one person can do." _I can't in good conscience let someone be hurt when there's something we can do – bandits should be easy to dispatch, after all. We've fought so much worse in the past weeks. _She took a breath to prepare to explain her logic when Hector interrupted her.

"What are we waiting for?" Hector asked. He picked Nils off of his shoulders and set him down on the ground before the boy knew what was going on.

"Let's go – letting someone face overwhelming odds like that is criminal!" Lyn was the first to start off toward the fight, somehow managing a decent clip.

Hector was right on her heels, with a startled, "Hold on, Lyn – I'm coming with you!" Rath silently followed after them, with the rest of the Caelin troops and the Ostian ones close behind. Eliwood ran after them, which dragged the rest of the group behind them.

"Where do they get that energy?" Nils asked, suddenly sounding much older as well as completely nonplussed.

"I only wish I knew," Adelessa replied. "And here I thought everyone was tired and I'd have to convince them." She shook her head and picked up her feet to follow them, forcing herself to jog to catch up to the over-eager lords. _Or maybe just as eager as they need to be. At least it's good to see them in good spirits. _She frowned sharply when she realized that they'd be traveling right into the gusting sand up ahead and took a moment to tie back her hair.

She waved to her flying units to land near her; she had an additional order for them. When they had, she quickly said, "If you can – if you're not in danger from archers or mages – I'd like you to get the person fighting out of danger. If they see you trying to reach him, everyone else in the company will give you support to make it easier. Don't force him to come if he doesn't want to. If he does, could you bring him back here so I can talk to him? Thank you!" she called as they started to take to the sky again.

With that taken care of, Adelessa was free to turn her attention to the first skirmishes her people were in. She didn't feel the need to direct them personally or order formations; squabbling brigands hardly warranted a concerted effort from her at this point. Even Matthew hung back instead of being his lord's shadow in the fight. When she gave him a questioning look, he explained with, "Those are some pretty big brutes out there. If they hit me, I'd easily break a rib. Besides, I figured that keeping an eye out for you over here would be better with all this sand."

"You spoil me rotten," she informed him. "Thank you."

"Hey, any time." She had the sneaking suspicion that Matthew had been ordered to keep an eye on her by Hector – honestly, she was a little surprised that Lyn hadn't asked Sain to do the same – but she wasn't going to make a fuss about it now. _And, if I'm going to be honest, it's good to know that I don't have to watch my back._ She refused to think about getting special treatment from him with regards to her crush. There was no place for romance on the battlefield. _Maybe if I tell myself that enough times I'll actually believe it._

Like she had expected, her fighters were having no problems with the rag-tag bunch of bandits. There was a more varied spread of units than she had expected: she was pretty sure she saw mages mixed in with the archers and brutish axe-fighters. Still, she was glad to see that her units were holding their own. As she had told Florina, Fiora, and Heath, the ground units were quick to catch on and start pushing to defeat the archers so that they could join the skirmish.

It was Heath who touched down first. He hurled a javelin at a soldier who tried to get too close and paused to help the man up behind him. Then he was up in the air again, moving toward where Adelessa was waiting with all due speed. For her part, she hurried toward the front line so that he wouldn't have to fly as far and so that they would be protected by the other fighters without getting too close to the fighting.

"Hello there! Are you-?" She stopped when she saw the mage that they'd rescued was stepping down from the saddle of the wyvern. Adelessa stared, and then smiled, and then laughed and ran forward. "Pent!" He recognized her an instant before she ran full bore into him. He laughed in delight and wrapped her up in a tight hug.

"Adelessa! Oh, it's good to see you!" She squeezed back in a tight hug; she'd missed him while she was away. "I never thought you'd be out here, though – you _hate_warm weather like this! Are you well? You're not in any trouble, are you?"

"Pent, I'm _fine_," she answered, letting go so she could back up a bit and smile at him. He hadn't changed a bit since she left after passing her exam. He had his gray hair tied back in its normal ponytail and was dressed in his work robes. "And if I had known that it was you getting into trouble out here, I wouldn't have been so worried. You're good at taking care of yourself!"

He laughed and reached forward to brush sand off of her shoulder. "I didn't _want_ to fight with them," he said more seriously, "but they wouldn't take no for an answer. I think they misjudged me for an unarmed traveler. I _am _glad for the help, of course! And we'll have to catch up once we're out of the midst of this confusion – I'd love to hear what you've been up to. Your letters don't go into much detail!"

"If you'd help us finish this quickly, that would be nice. And then we'll talk together, I promise," she added. "For now, would you mind fighting with us? The sooner we defeat these bandits, the sooner we can talk." She directed him to join the rest of her mages and watched as he proceeded to casually greet Erk while lobbing a fireball. _Now, where's Louise?_ Adelessa wondered, scanning the surrounding area for her foster mother. _She almost _never _lets him out of her sight, not with the way he gets into trouble unsupervised._

After a few moments of fruitless searching, Adelessa decided that she had better things on which she should focus than looking for Louise. She turned her attention back to the battle, only to find that it was even more of a curb-stomp battle than it had been previously. _I wish they would surrender so that we wouldn't have to rout them,_ she thought, mentally wincing. _This is stacked so much against them – using Pent is, well, kind of over-the-top. And here I had hoped that they would give up when they saw __that he'd joined us._

She startled badly when something moved out of the corner of her vision. She reached for her knife and turned, Matthew following suit and moving to guard her a second after she started moving. A bear of a man had appeared out of _nowhere_, carrying an axe that Adelessa could swear was as tall as she was. His skin was dark from years of harsh sun, broken up with dark tattoos that swirled on his face and limbs. His hair was bleached blond for the same reason. Adelessa couldn't help but feel intimidated and scared when she saw just how _big_ the man was, not to mention how _large_ his muscles were. _He could snap me or Matthew in half, like twigs!_

"There is no need to be afraid," the man rumbled. Adelessa was just as reassured as Matthew was by that comment; neither of them relaxed from their tense ready stances. "I'm Hawkeye, the defender of this desert."

"… the desert needs a defender?" Adelessa asked, relaxing only the barest fraction when she saw that the desert-dweller wasn't making any moves toward her.

"I will drive out the bandits." Matthew eased to the side as Hawkeye walked past them, keeping himself between the axe-wielder and Adelessa. "Guests need not fight."

"Guests?" Adelessa echoed. "Matthew, I don't think we need to worry-" When he gave her a _look_over his shoulder, she sighed and let go of the handle of her knife. "Yes, yes, I know. I should let you do your job and try not to be so naïve."

"You are going to be the death of me, Aydie," Matthew informed her.

"At least it will be interesting when it happens," she teased back. She didn't have to see him to know that he was rolling his eyes at that. He shook his head when she laughed quietly to herself. Still chuckling, Adelessa turned to face the battle again and couldn't help but be impressed with how it was turning out. With the addition of Hawkeye, who was _very _good with his axe and could easily send enemies flying, and Pent, whose competence was never in question, there was little left to do but attack the two leaders of the bandits and then regroup.

That came to pass shortly: Hawkeye and Pent defeated one of the leaders on their own in a surprising show of teamwork for two complete strangers. _Unless, of course,_ she thought, watching them, _they aren't strangers. That could very well be – Pent finds and makes friends with the _oddest _people_. Lyn, Eliwood, Raven, and Guy had little trouble with the other, especially with support from Erk, Canas, and Rebecca. The last few bandits remaining beat a hasty retreat when they saw that their leaders had been so handily defeated.

Serra and Priscilla milled through the group to search for injuries while they grouped together. Canas begged out of introductions. "The wastelands of Nabata are a paradise to students and practitioners of magic," he explained enthusiastically. "There are many, many stories of magical artifacts lost in these sands – now that the fighting's over, I'd like to take a chance to look around. Even just the skeletons around here are terribly intriguing, and those bandits may have left caches around here." He made such a good argument that she was more than happy to let him go and search. _It can't hurt, and it might even help if we find some, even if we just sell some for funds._

"You really helped me out," Pent was saying to the group. "There are only so many spells I can cast before I completely run out of energy. Thank you!"

"We couldn't watch such a lopsided battle, that's all," Eliwood said. Adelessa grinned to herself while she walked up; she had little doubt that Pent could have effectively taken care of the whole bunch of bandits on his own. _Not quite lopsided the way you'd think it is, Eliwood_. She joined the group. Instead of standing with the lords like she normally did – and as they expected, from how Lyn and Hector shifted to make room for her to stand near them – she skirted past them to stand between Eliwood and Pent.

"Aydie? Do you know him?" Hector asked.

"Does Adelessa know me?" Pent chuckled in good humor at that. "May I?" he asked her.

"I will," she replied. "Lord Eliwood of Pherae, Lord Hector of Ostia, Lady Lyndis of Caelin, this is Lord Pent of House Reglay, Mage General of Etruria and Professor at the Capitol University. He's the mentor of Erk," and she saw the violet-haired mage smile from a few rows back, "and… well, my foster father." The vast majority of the group stared blankly at her.

"Wait," Hector said, holding up his hands. "You're telling me that- Aydie, you never said- all this time we've never known that-"

"To be completely accurate," Pent corrected, "I'm your _adoptive _father, not foster father."

"Most people take it better when I say 'foster'," she explained. At the several different expressions of amazed bewilderment throughout the group, Adelessa bowed her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't keep it a secret for the sake of keeping it a secret. I really rather you didn't treat me like nobility just because I was adopted by him."

"We'd hate to treat a noble like nobility, after all," came a wry statement from Matthew. Of all of them, the spy looked the most strained and… hurt? "Especially one from the most noble houses in Etruria. Especially not when we've been pandering with nobles and having a little more leverage would have been a good idea!"

"I'm just Aydie the tactician," she replied. "I didn't want to be known as Lady Adelessa of House Reglay for a _reason_. For one, I was adopted as a young adult – any power I have is simply by name, not by blood. And I don't want what I have to come through being a noble or through politics." She smiled slightly and shrugged. "I saw plenty of other students proclaim that they were good tacticians simply because of their status as nobles. And I've seen people act _awfully_ because they can get away with it, because of being a noble. I don't _want _to be a noble. That's not what I want to be remembered as. It's just who my adoptive father happens to be." Adelessa only just stopped herself from fussing with her medallion. "I was born a commoner, and that's what I'll always be. Some people," and she and Pent shared a knowing glance, "just choose not to see that fact."

"And Louise likes putting you in pretty dresses," Pent added, his eyes twinkling with mirth as he teased her. Adelessa didn't _quite _glare at him. She heard someone cough into their hand as they stifled a laugh.

"_Thank you_," she said. "That's terribly helpful."

"You're welcome!" Adelessa was glad for his timely interruption, no matter how sarcastic she sounded: Pent was good at breaking up strained atmospheres without making it too obvious that that was what he was doing. "Now, then – ah, Hawkeye, before you ask, yes, I did find what I was looking for, and it is _just _as magnificent as I could have hoped." The Mage General clapped his hands and smiled at the three lords who stared at him. "Now, then – what brings you out here to such a place?"

"Well, we were told to come here and meet a living legend," Hector supplied, being the first to rally his wits.

"A 'living legend'?" Pent grinned and laughed. "I see! Whoever said that had the right of it!"

"But what does it mean?" Lyn asked.

"You'll see – we have a common destination, actually! If you come with me, I can take you straight to where you need to go."

"We're not going to be able to convince you to ease up on the cryptic, are we?" Adelessa asked, fondly exasperated. As much as she loved Pent, his sense of humor could be spectacularly inconvenient.

"Not at all!" he replied cheerfully. "But we can leave right now – I'd rather not get caught out here when the sun sets. Desert nights are treacherous. We have to go…." He paused for several seconds, surveying the dunes. Adelessa did the same; there were no markers for what direction was what, only an expanse of sand. "That way!" Pent declared; Adelessa smiled when she saw that he'd taken his cue from Hawkeye's subtle motion in that direction. "Come, Adelessa – introduce me to your friends while we walk!"

Hector was the first to catch up to the two of them. "Nice to meet you, Lord Pent," he said, offering her adoptive father his hand to shake. "Now, I don't mind walking, but how far do we have to go? I mean, I don't see anything except- whoa!" Adelessa staggered at the same time Hector did, and lurched to grab Pent. She barely had the time to gasp when she realized that they were sinking down into the sand. Pent's alarmed shout was the last thing she heard before the sand dissolved entirely under her and the three of them plunged into darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **One of these weeks, I'll do better than an every-other-week schedule. Apparently last week was not that week. _))) Been busy with work and illness and family crises, unfortunately. Apologies for this taking so long! D:

Thanks to my beta, **Ryan**, and my reviewers: **R****aven the Blood witch, patattack, MilleniaMaster, Tom-Ato13, Cormagravenstaff, Sparks101, Drachegirl14, angelbeets, crazyemeralddragons, Solyeuse, AquaticSilver, **and **DPT24.** See you soonest!


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